Bayern Munich 1-2 Real Madrid: 3 key battles that decided the game

Real Madrid and Bayern Munich played out a shocking snooze-fest of a first leg fixture at the Allianz Arena, as visitors Real Madrid came back from a goal down to win 1-2 with goals from defender Marcelo and substitute Marco Asensio.

The adjective "sloppy" isn't usually associated with Bayern - famed for their incisive passing and predatory instincts - but this was a match in which hardly any of the players looked fully awake, barring the aging Ribery. Despite going a goal down, Madrid were in cruise control for the entirety of the match and will take home a considerable advantage.

As usual, there were a few individual battles that went a long way in deciding the final result of the fixture. Here's a look at 3 such battles that ultimately had a say in the game:

#1 Raphael Varane vs Robert Lewandowski

Varane kept Lewandowski under wraps for the entire game without breaking a sweat

It is not very often that Lewandowski has a bad game, but last night was an absolute shocker for the dynamic striker.

Not only did he miss a chance to equalise for Bayern late into the second half, his positioning and awareness in the box were strangely off. The Polish striker usually finds himself in the right position to attack the ball, but he was all over the pitch in this game - and it is understandable that Bayern as a whole suffered.

Whether it was due to the injury to Robben that impacted their attacking game plan or just fatigue catching up to him, it cannot be determined. Whatever it was, the Red Ballet didn't even open.

A fully motivated Lewandowski might have been a handful for Varane, but he will not be complaining. He overpowered the forward in the air as well, not letting him get too much space whilst also defending the box well - one crucial touch from the Frenchman took the ball away from a potential Müller tap-in.

There is no guarantee that Varane will have it this easy against Lewa in the return leg, and the neutrals will hope that won't be the case as well. It would be interesting to see how this particular battle pans out then, but for the moment Varane couldn't have had an easier night of marking.

#2 Franck Ribery vs Lucas Vazquez

Ribery tried his best to salvage a draw, but Bayern never really looked like getting it — Ribery tried his best to salvage a draw, but Bayern never really looked like getting one

Even though Ribery looked like the only Bayern player on the pitch with intent, it was still a night to forget for the experienced midfielder.

With Bayern up 1-0, Franck Ribery had a glorious chance to double their lead with only Keylor Navas left to beat and the rest of the defenders drawn away by Lewandowski and James Rodriguez. But Ribery could not sort out his legs in time, and fluffed the chance.

What could have happened had a goal come of that, we will never know, but against a team like Madrid, chances should not be wasted. Ribery then pulled himself up by his bootstraps and played like a champion for the rest of the game, but it didn't matter.

On the other hand, Lucas Vazquez quietly had a great game in midfield. He assisted Marcelo for Los Blancos' opening goal, and controlled proceedings alongside the trio of Kroos, Modric and Isco. Bayern might have liked to exploit him, but he held his ground - and admirably at that.

There is still a possible chance at redemption for Ribery when they arrive at the Santiago Bernabeu next Tuesday, amidst even more pressure. That is a chance he will have to take well, unlike the one he failed to pounce on this time around.

#3 Joshua Kimmich vs Marcelo

Marcelo's attacking instincts turned savior for Madrid with a goal from nothing

Who knew that in a UEFA Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, the two wing-backs would be the ones to open the scoring?

Kimmich was the one who scored the first goal of the match, after Rodriguez released him from midfield with a perfectly weighted ball. As everyone in the ground, including Navas, was expecting him to cross the ball to Lewandowski in the middle, Kimmich took them by surprise and went for the shot and the goal himself.

Once again, the break was possible due to Madrid pushing bodies forward - especially Marcelo, who was one of the furthest men forward. His defensive positioning has been called into question more than a few times this season, and this was yet another example.

What hasn't come under scrutiny though has been his attacking acumen - which was in full flow once again. While Marcelo stuck to defending during the last year's fixture between these two, he almost played as a second striker behind Ronaldo this time around.

Marcelo's goal came from almost nothing, as has become tradition. He latched on to a ball from Vazquez and perfectly hit the ball to the bottom right corner, leaving Ulreich with absolutely no chance of getting a fingertip onto it.

The second leg will once again involve these two heavily, and, hopefully, in a more defensive encounter. Bayern's injury woes might result in them switching to a new system, but Marcelo and Real Madrid will be confident no matter what.

Edited by Arvind Sriram