Real Madrid secured a convincing 3-0 victory over Bayern Munich in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals for the 2025/26 season.
Real Madrid made a strong statement for reaching the Champions League semifinals by crushing Bayern Munich at the Santiago Bernabeu. The hosts scored three unanswered goals, while the visitors failed to create any truly dangerous chances.
The dominance of the royal club
Real controlled the game from the first minutes, opening the scoring as early as the 12th minute thanks to Vinícius Júnior. The Brazilian received a pass from Bellingham and struck accurately into the near corner. In the second half, Ancelotti made a successful tactical change, leading to two quick goals from Rodrygo and Fede Valverde.
We showed the character and quality required at this stage of the tournament. But the series isn't over yet, a tough match awaits us in Munich.
— Карло Анчелотти, главный тренер Реал Мадрид
The failure of the Bavarian tactic
Thomas Tuchel opted for a three-man defensive setup, but this strategy completely backfired. Bayern controlled possession for only 42% of the time, and their star striker Kane failed to create a single clear chance against Courtois' goal.
German media had particular questions about Musiala's substitution in the 60th minute when the score was still 1-0. The young winger was one of the few who tried to create something in attack.
The return match will take place on April 1 at the Allianz Arena. Bayern needs to score at least three goals to continue their fight in the tournament.