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An encounter which was envisioned to be an epic clash ended as a one sided affair when Real Madrid humbled Bayern Munich in front of their home fans. Allianz Arena witnessed its biggest home defeat in a European tournament as Real won comfortably with a 4-0 scoreline on the night (5-0 on aggregate) to seal their place in the Champions League final in Lisbon.While Real were excellent on the night, Bayern looked clueless in attack and were vulnerable defensively which is something we usually don't see with German sides. What went wrong for the Bavarians and why was Real a superior force in the tie? We take a look at the five talking points from the last night's game that might give us an answer
#1 Bayern need to find their German roots back
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Sounding like a tape recorder can get annoying so I have decided not to repeat what you might have read all season long about Pep Guardiola's tactics. His tiki-taka philosophy has failed in recent times and people have learned to neutralize his style- blah blah. But the most important aspect from Bayern's point of view that we do want to discuss is Where is the team created by Jupp Heynckes? Isn't this the same Bayern Munich who won the Champions League last year?
Jupp Heynckes had created one of the powerful sides in Europe who brushed aside any challenge thrown at them. The team was a perfect combination of skill,speed and strength. There wasn't an opposition who could penetrate their defence with possession game and none was strong enough to dismantle them with direct football. They were an intimidating force while attacking and an unbreakable unit while defending. All these qualities reflect the style we usually associate with one breed of footballers- the Germans.
And to see that same side concede through set pieces and fall prey to counter attacks with a fragile backline was somewhat ludicrous. It was heartbreaking for the supporters in Allianz Arena to witness their team experience what they did to Barcelona last season. The management board in Munich will have a lot to think about but they should primarily focus on getting Bayern's fearsome German roots back.
#2 Cristiano Ronaldo makes another record and proves he is the best
Cristiano Ronaldo came into this match sitting as the joint top scorer in a single tournament alongside his familiar adversary Lionel Messi. The Portuguese has continued his amazing run of scoring goals and has reached 40 goals for the fifth consecutive season. While those goals may have been crucial for his team, nothing was bigger than the night where he needed to guide his team to the finals.
The Ballon D'or winner emerged prominent on the night as he slotted in the third goal to break Messi's record and slotted in the fourth with a low freekick that ensured Madrid's passage to Lisbon. His touches were excellent and he linked up well every time Real countered Bayern. Ronaldo's 16 goals in 10 games stands as the new record in a single tournament and he proved why he deserves to be called the best at this moment.
#3 Carlo Ancelotti did what Mourinho couldn\'t
Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola have been labelled as the master tacticians of this era. While Pep has his own brand of followers, Mourinho is known for delivering on big occasions and outclassing the opponent teams. With two Champions League and several semi-final appearances he indeed is hailed as the "Special One".
One man was already a European mastermind long before Mourinho even arrived on the scene in 2004 with FC Porto.
Carlo Ancelotti was already conquering the continent with his AC Milan side. From 2003 to 2007, Ancelotti showed his pedigree on the big stage by taking Milan to three finals in five years and was on the verge of making a perfect record before Liverpool made a surprising comeback. The Italian emerged as one of the elite coaches and a silent, yet effective character, who could squeeze out results when it mattered.
On Tuesday night, Ancelotti proved his stature once again by taming Pep Guardiola's Bayern Munich. The former Milan coach's tactics were spot on as he nullified Bayern's threat and hit them where they looked vulnerable. With a 4-0 victory, he maintained his perfect record of never losing against the German side. With that familiar raised eyebrow and his silent persona on the sidelines, the Italian did what his predecessors couldn't achieve in the last 11 years- make Real Madrid players experience a Champions League final.
#4 Real\'s \'La Decima\' obsession overcame Bayern\'s will to defend the title
Since 2011, Real Madrid fell short every time they believed that it was their year to win the Champions League. Defeats to Barcelona, Bayern and Borussia Dortmund ended their dreams of chasing the coveted 'La Decima' for three consecutive years. This year, when they overcame Dortmund, their conquerors from last year in the quarter-finals, the hope was revived again.
Before the match, words were exchanged between both sets of players with Bayern stressing their will to become the first team to defend the title while Real desperate to reach the final. But on the pitch, it was the men in white who looked more determined and hungry to play in Lisbon.
Sergio Ramos stepped up and inflicted two early blows to the Germans by scoring a double from set-pieces. The Spaniard shrugged off his ghosts of 2012 penalty miss while the whole team played as a unit and gave their 100% to achieve the goal they set out for. On the other hand, Bayern could not back their off pitch talks as they lacked penetration and willingness to repeat what they did last year. The dream of La Decima did cast a shadow on the Allianz Arena
#5 Real Madrid can win the Champions League but have a big hurdle ahead
Brushing aside one of the contenders for the trophy by a scoreline of 5-0 over two legs does put Real on the hotseat to win their 10th Champions League title. With a squad of Galacticos at their disposal, they will be the favourites to win the trophy this season.
But what awaits them is a tough challenge in the form of either city rivals Atletico Madrid or Mourinho's Chelsea. Both the sides will learn their fate on Wednesday night which will decide whether it will be a Madrid derby or a reunion battle with Jose in Lisbon. Whoever it is, one thing is certain that Real Madrid will have to face one of two most compact sides in Europe this season.
Chelsea are a defensively strong unit who don't slip away goals. Atletico, on the other hand, are a team who are tactically second to none and have an unbreakable mentality. While Real may have found it comfortbale to sit back and counter in Munich, the story won't be the same against these two sides. It will a tough 90 minutes or even an extra-time followed by penalties for the Los Blancos. But if they can display the same desire and passion for the final, 'La Decima' dream may finally come true.
