Champions League: Luckless Bayern out after Ronaldo treble

Real Madrid 4-2 Bayern Munich (6-3 agg.)
(Ronaldo 76', 105', 109', Asensio 112' - Lewandowski pen 53' Ramos og 78')

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick, including two crucial strikes that were offside, as 10-man Bayern rued their luck at the Estadio Bernabeu.

Ronaldo was in an offside position when he received Sergio Ramos’ pass and appeared to bring the ball down with his arm as he fired under Manuer Neuer to put Real ahead on aggregate in what had been an enthralling quarterfinal second leg in Madrid. He then scored from an offside position minutes later to make it 3-2.

Those strikes, along with Arturo Vidal's harsh red card, proved the game’s decisive moments as the momentum swung back to the home side. Bayern - fielding their oldest team in Champions League history with an average age of 30.3 - were ultimately unable to recover from those blows.

These heavyweights of European football delivered a level of entertainment that, for long periods, would have made a fitting final. Bayern were boosted by the return of striker Robert Lewandowski from injury, as well as first choice defensive pairing Jerome Boateng and Mats Hummels. All three were excellent, though Boateng and Hummels’ lack of recent game time caught up with them as they tired towards the end of the contest.

Bayern probed for an early breakthrough, with a disciplined Real Madrid sitting deep to keep Bayern at bay. But Carlo Ancelotti’s side started to cut through the Real defence, with Arjen Robben finding the side-netting and Arturo Vidal firing just over from distance.

The Bundesliga side were forced into some heroics at the other end, with Boateng clearing off the line from Ramos and Hummels producing a phenomenal block from Toni Kroos, who was lively in midfield against his former club. In fact, Boateng and Hummels’ defending was absolutely first class and proof that when they are fit, Bayern possess the finest defensive line in Europe.

After a goalless but absorbing first half, Bayern took the lead from the spot through Lewandowski’s nonchalant penalty after Casemiro, who had a compelling case to be dismissed for a second booking, caught Robben. Bayern were all over Real at this point but couldn’t quite force a second goal, and they were made to pay when Ronaldo made it 1-1 on the night, holding off Philipp Lahm to nod Casemiro’s clipped cross into the bottom corner.

But Real Madrid were level for barely a minute before Bayern put their noses in front again, and it came courtesy of a Ramos own goal. In trying to snuff out Lewandowski after substitute Thomas Müller had helped the ball along, the ball bounced off the Real Madrid captain and creeped into his own net.

The game’s first contentious moment came when Arturo Vidal, whose tackle on Asensio was full-blooded but clean, was shown a second yellow card. Bayern’s bench were incensed as the combative Vidal was dismissed, although his discipline on the biggest stage has come under question before. Worse was to follow for Bayern when, as the first half of extra time was drawing to a close, Ronaldo scored from an offside position and seemingly helped the ball down with his upper arm.

With the score level on the night at 2-2, Real Madrid had Bayern on the ropes – and they delivered the knockout blow five minutes into the second half of extra time. The outstanding Marcelo burst through the exhausted Bayern defence and squared for Ronaldo for the simplest of finishes, and one that gave him his 100th Champions League goal, but the Portuguese was again offside when he received the pass.

Asensio added insult to injury late on as Real Madrid romped to a convincing win, but it's one that Bayern, who have now gone out to Spanish opposition for the fourth consecutive season, will feel was made easier by several glaring errors by the officials.

As it happened: