It was a fascinating encounter which resulted in a rather unexpected 2:1 Real Madrid win, as the defending champions got the upper hand, thanks to the heroics of Cristiano Ronaldo.
A lot had been made after Bayern’s 4:1 over Borussia Dortmund on Saturday but the German record champions failed to live up to the expectation as they fell prey to Zinedine Zidane’s men.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s two goals sealed the first leg and nullified Arturo Vidal’s early opener. Here are the best and the worst Bayern players in their disappointing defeat to Real Madrid on Tuesday night.
Manuel Neuer(9/10): The German world champion was making his comeback into the starting lineup after missing three consecutive games due to injury. He once again proved why he’s regarded as the best goalie in modern times, as he made a plethora of saves to keep his side in the game.
Philip Lahm(7.5/10): Lahm was distracted by the work ethic of Cristiano Ronaldo. The former German International had a tough time to keep up with the Madrid wingers but did well in the first half.
Javi Martinez(7.5/10): An awful evening for Javi Martinez, who was actually quite good at times when the opposition attacked in full force. However, he made a silly mistake right at the depth which resulted in his red card and made the job easier for Madrid.
Jerome Boateng(8/10): A decent game for the 28-year-old, who made himself strong after a disastrous meeting with Real in 2014. He was much calmer and composed and decisive when defending the opposition.
David Alaba(8/10): It was meant to be a fascinating contest between two of the world’s best full-backs in the world in Alaba and Carvajal. We have to say the Austrian managed to edge past his Spanish counterpart, as he constantly kept Carvajal under pressure thanks to his offensive work rate.
Xabi Alonso(8.5/10): The former Real Madrid midfielder was very calm and he was the one setting the tempo up for Bayern. Especially in the first half. Even at the age of 35. the level of quality isn’t dropping anytime soon as the Spaniard ages like fine wine.
Arturo Vidal(8.5/10): Bayern’s answer against the two of the best ball playing midfielders of Real Madrid in Luka Modric and Toni Kroos, Vidal was very crucial in the midfielder for the home side. He was faultless with his crisp tackles and gave Madrid or Kroos no time to work their magic in the middle.
Thiago Alcantara(8/10): Didn’t exactly manage to impose his quality on the field. However, the former Barcelona man was very active in possessional play and his crisp passing helped Bayern build up momentum.
Arjen Robben(7.5/10): The Dutchman failed to capitalise on his blazing run as he often got outnumbered in the right flank. His signatory cutting inside, and have a curler with his lethal left foot wasn’t on show on the night.
Franck Ribery(7/10): He also lacked the cutting edge to brute past the opposition defence. The Frenchman struggled to keep his mark on the game.
Thomas Muller(6.5/10): Easily the worst Bayern player on the night, Thomas Muller is clearly not a good option up front for Carlo Ancelotti. It’s evident that the home side has dearly missed the services of a certain Robert Lewandowski.
