Bayern Munich 4-3 Real Madrid: summary, score, goals, highlights, Champions League quarter final

We'll wrap up our coverage from the Allianz Arena here folks after what was truly a dramatic night of Champions League football which ultimately saw Bayern Munich march on to the semi-final where they will meet PSG.

Arsenal will entertain Atletico Madrid in the other match-up with those games set to be played in a fortnight.

Cheers for tuning in this evening.

PSG getting ready for semi-final

Just another two weeks to wait until the Champions League is back with the final four sides.

A fascinating repeat of the Covid Lisbon final when Bayern beat PSG by 1-0.

Arsenal finally got over the line against Sporting CP in a game apparently short of clear cut chances.

Atletico will be no pushovers and that too, will be an intriguing match-up.

Florentino Perez commiserates with Madrid squad

According to Movistar +, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez went to the away dressing room at the Allianz Arena to commiserate with the Madrid squad after their 4-3 loss to Bayern Munich.

Los Blancos also fell at the quarter-final stage last season following elimination at the hands of Arsenal.

Arbeloa post game:

"I think that the game changed after the red card and I can't believe that Camavinga was sent off for that incident. 

We're annoyed and we accept that things in LaLiga are complicated given that Barcelona are nine points clear at the top of the table"

There was a serious fracas at the end of the game and it appeared that Arda Güler was red carded as Jude Bellingham also challenged the match official.

The tension also apparently continued in the tunnel after the final whistle.

Champions League

Elber: “I’m predicting a final between Atlético and Bayern”

The semi-final pairings are set

We'll have:

Arsenal vs Atletico Madrid

PSG vs Bayern Munich

Bayern win out 6-4 on aggregate and that pretty much ends Real Madrid's season and even possibly Alvarao Arbeloa's tenure on the bench with the Bernabeu side. 

'Best game of football I've seen all season" claims former Bayern star Owen Hargreaves and it's certainly up there with the best.

We'll have 4 minutes of added time.

Can Madrid pull one out of the hat as we learn that Arsenal have advanced and will play Atletico Madrid in the other semi-final.

The game in North London ended 0-0.

Bayern 5-4 Real Madrid (agg)

The ball takes a slight deflection from Militao but nothing Lunin could do to stop the strike.

Diaz strikes and has possibly put Bayern Munich into the semi-final of the Champions League.

A sweet strike from the Colombian and Bayern draw level on the night and 5-4 on aggregate.

Mastantuono getting ready to come on for Real Madrid.

Camavinga gets a second yellow card.

The French central player has only been on the pitch for 24 minutes.

Madrid down to ten men.

Fran Garcia warming up for Real Madrid as we move into the final seven minutes of the tie.

Mbabbé getting medical with the French striker holding his groin. 

The striker gets the nod from the match official to return to the pitch and both sides have 11 vs 11 again.

Camavinga carded as he grabs Musiala by the jersey.

Kimmich to take the free but the move comes to nothing.

Olise again threatens as he cuts in on his favoured left foot and lets one fly over the Madrid crossbar.

One moment now could decide who progresses to face PSG in the semi-final of the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League.

Ten minutes remain in North London and Arsenal heading through with the game still at 0-0.

Upamecano heads and the ball flashes inches wide of the Real Madrid goal.

Decent delivery from Olise as we move into the final quarter of an hour of the tie.

Mbappé does so well as he strikes and the ball falls to Vini Jr. The Brazilian fails to connect and the chance goes begging.

Bayern break down the other side as Diaz is denied by Rudiger.

Bayern still enjoying more possession on the ball and Mbappé's runs on the counter remain Madrid's most dangerous weapon.

Rudiger is cautioned for dissent after Guler was fouled.

The clock ticking down and neither side prepared to give anything away. 

Extra time on the cards ?

Olise delivers a fine left footed drive and it takes a last gasp save from Lunin to touch the ball over the bar.

The Ukrainian has managed to shake off the early game nerves.

Bellingham has been solid despite a slow start this evening. The England international gave an added spark to Madrid last week when coming on as a sub and has been influential tonight.

Valverde strikes for the visitors and Neuer does well to make the save.

Diaz is into the box and just about to pull the trigger as Trent AA intervenes to rob the Colombian.

Madrid defending solidly now and denying Bayern any clear cut chances in this second half.

and here comes the changes: Musiala on for Gnabry (Bayern)

Camavinga on for Diaz (Real Madrid)

Both sides preparing changes as Camavinga is getting ready for Madrid and Musiala for the home team.

Approaching the hour mark in Munich and we're still tied with a 4-4 aggregate scoreline.

Madrid lead on the night with the next goal of the game potentially to be key in determining which side will advance.

First corner of the night for Real Madrid as Trent delivers ... the ball is whacked away from Bayern as the ball falls to Mbappé and the French striker pulls off an exceptional volley that is really well saved by Neuer.

A far more serene start to the second half. At this juncture in the opening 45', we'd already seen two goals fly in for either side.

Possession after 50 minutes.

Bayern still ahead with 64% and the German side have registered 5 shots on target to the three from Real Madrid. 100% efficiency for the visitors with three goals from their three efforts.

Diaz almost slots home for Bayern as the ball takes a deflection off Bellingham and goes wide for a corner kick.

Real Madrid restart the second half.

The teams return to the pitch at the Allianz Arena and we have a change at the break for the home side as Davies is on for Stanišić (who was on a yellow).

...and meanwhile in North London... it remains goalless between Arsenal and Sporting CP. This result would put the Gunners into a semi-final against Atletico Madrid.

2-3 on the night... 4-4 on aggregate

Tonight's Champions League quarter-final between Bayern Munich and Real Madrid erupted into an instant classic at the Allianz Arena, ending the first half in a breathless 3-2 lead for Real Madrid (4-4 on aggregate).

The drama began just 35 seconds in when Arda Güler punished a rare Manuel Neuer blunder to level the tie, though Bayern responded almost immediately through an Aleksandar Pavlović header.

The pendulum continued to swing as Güler restored Madrid's lead with a stunning 30-yard free kick, only for Harry Kane to equalize again with a clinical finish in the 41st minute. However, Kylian Mbappé silenced the home crowd just before the break, latching onto a Vinícius Júnior assist to put the Spanish giants ahead on the night. With the aggregate score deadlocked at 4-4 and 45 minutes of regulation remaining, the match remains on a knife-edge as both titans fight for a place in the semi-finals.

Half time in Munich.

After the madness of the first 45 minutes with five goals, both sets of players will take a badly needed breather.

So, to recap.

It's Bayern 2-3 Real Madrid on the night and overall it's all square on an aggregate score of 4-4.

We're in stoppage time too with the half time whistle imminent.

Kompany carded too as he protests for a possible foul in the build up play ahead of the third Real Madrid goal.

So close for Madrid as Vinicius rattles the woodwork.

Militao crunches into Kane and gets a card for this endeavour. A poor card to give away and the Brazilian will need to watch his step.

Latest score from North London: 

Arsenal 0-0 Sporting .... as things stand, the Premier League side would progress after a 0-1 win in Lisbon.

The half has flown by and we're into the final ten minutes of the half.

Just a reminder that should the tie be level after the final whistle tonight, we'll play a further 30 minutes of extra-time and should we still be all square then, the semifinalist will be decided via spot kicks.

For the first time tonight, it's the noise coming from the travelling Madridistas that can be heard at the Allianz Arena.

So, Madrid ahead on the night 1-2 and all square in the tie with the aggregate score now at 3-3.

A confidence booster for Lunin as he dives well to deny Kimmich with the ball destined for the corner of the Madrid net.

Madrid do look sharp on the counter with the game now falling into a pattern of Los Blancos soaking up Bayern pressure and then looking for the pace of Vini and Mbappé to strike on the break.

Olise strikes and his effort is deflected as Bayern win a 6th corner on the night.

Lunin looks anxious between the sticks for Real Madrid and certainly nervous in dealing with these corner kicks.

Mendy goes down and immediately appeals for a spot kick. The referee was well positioned and waves away the appeal from the Real Madrid man who seemed to slip as he tangled with Tah. 

Bayern dominant in terms of possession enjoying 70% of the ball at present.

Vini slips a perfect ball into Mbappé but the flag is up against the French striker.

The pace is still frantic despite the fact we've played more than 20 minutes of the tie.

All square between Arsenal and Sporting CP with the game in North London goalless.

Militao does well to deny Diaz and the Brazilian timed his intervention to perfection as he lunges and denys the Colombian.

We've seen very little from the returning Bellingham after more than 15 minutes on the clock here at the Allianz Arena.

Both sides had different experiences in their league games ahead of tonight's quarter final with Madrid only managing a 1-1 draw at home to Girona and Bayern romping to a 0-5 win away at St. Pauli.

Things have settled down after that wild start with Güler firing Madrid ahead in the first minute and Palvlovic pulling one back for the home side.

Vinicius also getting involved with Kimmich shoving the Bayern player with the referee having a word with the Brazilian striker.

All square at the Allianz

Corner for the German side and the ball goes straight in from the corner.

Pavlović with the goal.

What a start !

So, within the first minute, it's a perfect start for Real Madrid as the Turkish international has bagged that early goal that levels the tie.

2-2 on aggregate now.

Bayern 0-1 Real Madrid

What a start at the Allianz Arena !

Off we go at the Allianz Arena. The home side start the action.

We'll have a pre game minute's silence to remember José Emilio Santamaría who passed away. 

He also represented Real Madrid and died at the age of 96.

And a reminder of the teams as kick-off is just moments away here in Munich.

Neuer and Villaverde the captains for tonight's match.

Bayern tifo!

‘It's all in our hands’ reads the Bayern Munich tifo from south stand of the stadium.

Countdown into the final minutes

Just a matter of minutes before we're underway in Bavaria and in just a matter of two hours or so, we'll discover which two teams will join PSG and Atletico Madrid in the semifinals of the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League.

The favourites to advance are Bayern and Arsenal with the Spanish and Portuguese sides looking to upset the form book. 

Champions League

What does ‘Mia san mia’, the Bayern Munich motto, mean and how does it translate into English?

Big night for Lunin

With Courtois sidelined, once again the goalkeeping duty falls to Lunin with the Ukrainian with the stopper having renewed his deal with Los Blancos in 2024 for six seasons. 

Two defeats in 44 games for Bayern at home

The Allianz Arena is an absolute fortress for the Bundesliga side with just two defeats in 44 matches in all competitions for the Bavarian outfit.

An electric atmosphere is guaranteed with the noise levels already at ‘11’ for the German side.

For Real Madrid, the Champions League offers the last real tilt at silverware as they trail FC Barcelona by 9 points in the domestic league standings. 

Bayern still tipped to go all the way

The Bundesliga giants are the leading favourites to lift the 25-26 Champions League and lead the likes of Arsenal and PSG as the other sides tipped to be in contention to secure the biggest prize in European football come the end of the season.

Will Bayern miss Lennart Karl ?

Bayern Munich confirmed a few days ago that Lennart Karl has suffered a hamstring tear in his right leg. The 18-year-old forward will be sidelined for several weeks, meaning he will also miss the crucial Champions League quarter-final second leg against Real Madrid tonight, a significant setback for both the team and the player.

The news comes as a tough emotional blow for Karl, who was already reeling from the disappointment of the first leg at the Santiago Bernabéu. Despite Bayern’s 2–1 victory, the promising striker, who had just made his debut for the German national team, did not play a single minute and remained on the bench throughout the match, on a night he had hoped would be special given his admiration for Real Madrid and his past connection to the club.

Pre-game philosophy from Arbeloa

Many Real Madrid fans and indeed club staff are evoking the classic nights and the big ‘remontadas’ secured by the side from the capital as time after time Real Madrid find a way.

Tonight may be a little more complicated, certainly a view reinforced by the first leg performance.

We'll find it in little more than two hours if Madrid can add a historical turnaround in Munch to the club history books.

Yellow card alert

Several players in action tonight will be walking a tightrope aware that another caution would see them ruled out of a potential semi-final:

Arsenal: Nørgaard, Zubimendi

Sporting: Luis Suárez

Bayern Munich: Laimer, Neuer, Tah, Upamecano

Real Madrid: Bellingham, Carreras, Huijsen, Mbappé, Rodrygo, Vinícius Júnior.

Bellingham is back !

The Englishman hasn’t started in the UCL since the 4-2 defeat to Benfica on matchday 8. An injury had forced him to miss all four matches of the knockout stage. In the first leg against Bayern, he turned the game around when he came on as a substitute just after the hour mark, in a situation that suited his style of play in open play. 

Now, the former Dortmund player — who spent three seasons in Germany, where he knows tonight’s opponents well — regains his place in Arbeloa’s starting eleven as the linchpin of the midfield alongside Valverde.

Strike plays havoc for Real Madrid fans

A two day strike called by German carrier Lufthansa has seen more than 250 Real Madrid fans miss out on Wednesday's big game due to cancelled flights.

Earlier on Wednesday, the fans who had made it to Munich along with the club's German fans enjoyed the pre-game atmosphere at the central Marienplatz. 

Bayern starting eleven confirmed

Fresh from a 0-5 away win to St. Pauli at the weekend, the Bayern XI has been confirmed as Diaz, Olise and Kane set to be the danger men for Real Madrid.

Bayern vs Madrid .... Kane vs Mbappé

Two of the most prolific strikers in European and in deed global football come together tonight.

Harry Kane finds the next every 67 minutes with the French striker slotting home every 81 minutes,

Phenomenal numbers from two players who will also light up the forthcoming World Cup with England and France respectively.

RM XI confirmed

Bellingham, Vini and Mbappé all start for Real Madrid as the team news is confirmed.

Fireworks off the field from Bayern fans

Fireworks were set off late last night outside the Real Madrid hotel in Munich as home fans looked to disrupt the sleeping Madrid players. This is a well versed tactic of fans across the continent and indeed Latin America ahead of high stake games.

Arsenal-SCP do battle in London

The other semi-final of the night sees a faltering Arsenal welcome Sporting CP to North London.

The Gunners hold a one goal advantage from a late Kai Havertz strike last week in Lisbon. The winners from the clash at the Emirates will move on to face Atletico Madrid in the other semi-final path after Diego Pablo Simeone's side lost 2-1 on the night but prevailed with a 3-2 aggregate result over the Catalan side.

Who will Bayern/Real Madrid face in the semi-final?

After their 4-0 aggregate win over Liverpool, current Champions League holders PSG await the winners of this quarter-final. The Reds were no match for the Ligue 1 side over 180 minutes and at a rain soaked Anfield on Tuesday night, two goals from Dembele saw Luis Enrique's side cruise into the semi-final.

Have Real Madrid ever won a European tie after losing the first leg at home?

Real Madrid have not lost the first leg of a European knockout tie at home and still gone on to advance since the 1970-71 season. That's right, to find the last time it happened, you have to go back more than 55 years.

In October 1970, Los Blancos were beaten 1-0 at the Bernabéu by Austrian side Wacker Innsbruck in the second round of the European Cup Winners’ Cup. Madrid responded with a 2-0 win away from home to turn the tie around and reach the quarterfinals.

They would eventually go on to reach the final, where they lost to Chelsea.

Champions League

Who is Slavko Vincic, referee for Bayern Munich vs Real Madrid, Champions League quarter final second leg?

21 European Cup haul between tonight's teams

Bayern Munich and Real Madrid boast a combined 21 European crowns between them and have met 29 times in the continent's top club competition. Madrid’s visits to Munich over the years have been anything but easy - the first seven trips all ended in defeat. Madrid have beaten Bayern at home just three times in 14 visits - the most recent in the 2017/2018 semi-finals.

No roof for the Allianz tonight

A reminder that the Bundesliga side hold an advantage following their 1-2 at the Bernabeu last week. Harry Kane and Luis Diaz bagged the goals for the German side with a strike from Mbappé offering a lifeline for Los Blancos.

The action in Bavaria gets underway at 9pm (local time) or 3pm ET and 12pm PT and after 90 minutes (assuming no extra time or penalty kicks are involved) we'll discover the name of the side that will face PSG in the semi-final of the competition.

Hello, good evening and welcome to our live coverage from Germany as Bayern Munich face Real Madrid in the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League quarter-final (second leg) with a berth in the final four on the line.