As the final whistle blew, Real Madrid’s players and staff erupted in celebration, but on the other side of the pitch, Bayern Munich substitute Joselu sank to the floor face first. Head buried in his hands, he sobbed as his teammates rushed to share the moment with him.
Real Madrid were staring at defeat in their Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich, but the 34-year-old’s twin strikes in the dying minutes had flipped the script. Having spent years in the shadows, this was, without a shadow of a doubt, the biggest moment of his career.
It was a classic Real Madrid heist at the Santiago Bernabeu. The visitors, who were held 2-2 at home in the first leg last week, took the lead against the run of play in the 68th minute thanks to an Alphonso Davies screamer.
With less than three minutes of normal time remaining, they equalized through Joselu and he struck again in the 90th minute to complete the comeback.
Real Madrid have perfected the art of coming back from the dead. Paris St-Germain, Chelsea, Manchester City know all about it. Liverpool dominated a final but Real had run out winners. In the Champions League, they always find a way.
For all their pluck and push, Real’s breakthrough came via a large slice of luck. Manuel Neuer, Bayern’s 38-year-old goalkeeper who has won it all, was having a night to remember until he wasn’t.
With Vinicius Junior having another scintillating game, Neuer had kept final hopes alive with a number of incredible saves, but in the 88th minute, the ball bounced out of his grip and Joselu pounced to score the equalizer.
The second goal wasn’t a straightforward tap-in either. The cross was fired in at a tricky height by Antonio Rudiger and Joselu timed his run and made sure he was ready for it. He adjusted his feet in a flash and made the right contact to guide the ball in.
It is what you pay strikers for. For all the planning that goes into a Champions League semi-final, for the talent on display, sometimes all that is needed is to throw a big, tall striker into the mix.
“He (Joselu) is the perfect reflection of what this team is all about,” said Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti. “He has given us so much, without ever losing confidence in what he’s capable of.”
