At halftime, Bayern Munich had every reason to feel good about itself. Although Arturo Vidal had just skied a penalty, the home side had scored, controlled possession, and created more chances than Real Madrid. A 1-0 lead looked optimistic.
But all of Bayern's work was undone in the final 45 minutes at the Allianz Arena. Even before Javi Martinez was sent off, the tide had turned. Madrid found space on the flanks, exposed Bayern between the lines, and Ronaldo constantly shifted from left to right. Martinez's dismissal only hastened the quick turnaround, and if Madrid's finishing had been better, this Champions League quarter-final would have been laid to rest.
| Bayern | Madrid | |
|---|---|---|
| 1st half | ||
| Shots | 10 | 7 |
| Chances created | 9 | 6 |
| 2nd half | ||
| Shots | 3 | 16 |
| Chances created | 3 | 15 |
Here are three major takeaways from a match of two halves:
Ronaldo's movement baffles Bayern
No one had ever scored a century of goals in UEFA competition before Ronaldo achieved the feat Wednesday, and his performance in Bavaria showed why he's the exception.
His goals weren't extraordinary in any sense, but they were accurate and deadly. He made a mazy run to meet Dani Carvajal's cross for the equaliser, and successfully stayed onside to poke the winner through Manuel Neuer's legs. Neuer had been amazing all night, his strong right arm robbing the Portuguese on another occasion, but Ronaldo's persistence paid off. No one registered more shots than Ronaldo's eight, and no one was fouled more often than the 32-year-old.
Related: Ronaldo makes history as Real Madrid tops Bayern Munich
What was perhaps more important than his scoring efforts was his overall movement. Never a static player, Ronaldo kept his markers guessing and crucially drew the two yellow cards that led to Martinez's dismissal. On both plays, Ronaldo had been racing the other way on separate counter-attacks, and the Spaniard couldn't contain him.
It was also a matter of foolish decision-making - Martinez had teammates in a position to defend against Ronaldo before he committed the second bookable offence - but the Euro 2016 winner was the one who forced the Spaniard into a compromising situation.
Ronaldo drew the red card in left midfield, and barely a minute later he made himself available on the right. He simply didn't stop.
Carvajal dominates right flank
Marcelo is one of the game's preeminent full-backs, but teammate Carvajal has the same critical attacking instinct. In the modern game, full-backs essentially act as wingers and overlap on the flank, and Carvajal has the pace and technique to fulfill that role. His cross to Ronaldo was more than just a hopeful ball: Carvajal smacked the ball knowing a lethal finisher like Ronaldo would send it goal-bound.
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
Carvajal completely bypassed Bayern's left-sided players, including Franck Ribery and David Alaba, and when Douglas Costa emerged as a substitute, Carvajal's dominance went undisturbed.
When it comes to talk of the best right-backs in world football, the conversation neglects Carvajal, but a performance like this one proves he belongs in the same class as Dani Alves, Philipp Lahm, and Kyle Walker.
No way to replace Lewandowski
When speculation emerged that Robert Lewandowski would miss the first leg, there was an obvious feeling Bayern had lost its best weapon. Lewandowski famously scored four goals against Madrid in a 2013 Champions League semi-final with Borussia Dortmund, and he's rightfully regarded, along with Luis Suarez, as one of the two best strikers in the game.
His injury robbed Bayern manager Carlo Ancelotti of a direct threat and forced the Italian to reshuffle his squad. That meant playing Thomas Muller at centre-forward, and for all of the German's troubles this season, his performance Wednesday barely registered a beat. Muller's drop-off has been substantial this season, and he was virtually anonymous against Madrid. He recorded fewer touches than Neuer, and was dispossessed a game-high four times.
With Ribery sequestered on the left side of the pitch and Arjen Robben running into dead ends, Bayern only achieved anything positive through Vidal's pressing and Thiago's midfield passing. Ancelotti cannot wait to get back Lewandowski.