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

Real Madrid moved one step closer to their hat-trick of UEFA Champions League trophies, as they held Bayern Munich to a 2-2 draw at the Santiago Bernabeu and won the tie 4-3 on aggregate to sail into the finals for the third consecutive season.

The second leg was everything that the first wasn't - exciting, interesting and dominant from Bayern. The red Ballet was in full flow, but an unfortunate error from their goalkeeper, Sven Ulreich, turned out to be the difference between the two sides when the final whistle was blown.

As usual, there were a few key battles that ultimately decided the final result of the game. Here's a look at 3 such battles that had a say in the outcome of the match:

#1 Cristiano Ronaldo vs Mats Hummels

It was a rare off-color day for Ronaldo in front of goal — It was a rare off-colour day for Ronaldo in front of goal

Mats Hummels was one of the weakest links in Bayern's defence during the first leg, but it was a quick turnaround from him as he spearheaded their defence and even went on marauding runs forward to help Bayern get back into the game.

He commanded the air spectacularly and did a fine job of keeping Cristiano Ronaldo quiet for the duration of the game. What he lacked in pace, he made up for with his positioning and his ability to intercept through balls.

What was more interesting about his role in this game was his transition into attack - not as the catalyst but as the sole responsible member himself, when he collected balls deep from defence and merged them seamlessly into offence as he bombed forward.

Hummels had the chance to score off a corner late into the game, but it was not to be. Like Bayern, it was a case of 'so close yet so far'.

This was a surprisingly silent game from Ronaldo, but he had his fair share of chances. One of them was saved at the near post by Ulreich and the Portuguese skied another - a chance that definitely should have sealed the fixture.

Now that Los Blancos have sealed their passage to Kiev, Ronaldo can focus all his energy on trying to win the Golden boot, and get back in form when the final rolls into the corner.

#2 Luka Modric vs Franck Ribery

Luka Modric was vital in both defense and offense for the home team — Luka Modric was vital in both defence and offence for the home team

This was one of those games where you understood just how important Luka Modric is to the Real Madrid engine, as the Croatian midfielder put in a tiring shift in both attack and defence for the defending champions.

"Lucky Luka", as he is fondly called, had nothing to do with luck on this night, as he carried the entire game on his shoulders and made sure that the Germans never felt safe when in possession of the ball.

Deployed as a deep-lying playmaker, his pressing was evident even in the first leg as he repeatedly found his place near Ulreich but tonight was when he was at his best. Sharp in distribution and persistent in possession, Modric ran the show behind the scenes at his imperial best.

It was in defence that he really shone. Having to make up for Marco Asensio's lack of defensive awareness and David Alaba and Joshua Kimmich in free-flowing football, Modric was the only reason that Bayern did not score from that side of the pitch.

Franck Ribery's finishing was the key factor in deciding the first leg, but this time around it was his playmaking. Far too often, he opted to dribble past the Bayern defenders instead of finding the closest teammate with a routine pass, and his team suffered for it.

He was responsible for lethal attacks coming into nothing, and the frustration was evident in the face of Thomas Muller and Robert Lewandowski when the crosses didn't come in.

It ultimately came down to who helped their team the most, and Modric won this encounter quite easily.

#3 Keylor Navas vs Sven Ulreich

Keylor Navas turned out to be the difference between victory and defeat for Los Blancos

The two players didn't face off personally, but it was game of two goalkeepers - and it was fitting that the better goalkeeper on the night ended up on the side going into the finals.

Sven Ulreich has been Bayern's shot-stopper for a long while now, and while he is not Manuel Neuer, he was considered an effective back-up to have. This was evident in the league games, as he helped Bayern walk away with the Bundesliga title yet again.

His fortune could not have been more different in this match. He had an absolute howler of a game - first when he refused to come out and catch the ball off Marcelo's cross that Benzema headed in for the opening goal.

The second goal was worse - Corentin Tolisso's loose ball found its way into the box and Ulreich rushed into the collect the ball, only to remember that he cannot pick the ball up from a back pass. His genius solution to this was simply to let the ball roll away, letting Benzema pounce on it with ease and poise.

On the other end of the pitch, Keylor Navas put in another one of his brave performances as he punched out every ball that dared to venture into his personal space. He also made a few fine saves on his own - most particularly the one he made in the final minutes off Tolisso.

Despite conceding two, Navas was far better than his Bayern counterpart in that Madrid would have conceded a lot more in his absence while, from the looks of it, Bayern would have conceded one fewer in Ulreich's absence.

Edited by Shambhu Ajith