Champions League advantages for Bayern, Arsenal

MADRID (AP):

Harry Kane delivered for Bayern Munich on his return from injury, scoring a goal and helping set up another in his team’s 2-1 win at Real Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals yesterday.

Kylian Mbappé scored Madrid’s goal after the visitors had taken a two-goal lead at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium. Veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer came up big for Bayern with several key saves to keep the German champions with the first-leg edge.

Kane had been listed as a game-day decision after missing the team’s Bundesliga match last weekend because of an ankle injury.

“We knew that coming to Madrid and trying to get a result is always difficult,” Kane told TNT Sports. “We played some really good stuff and we could have done even better — maybe the final ball, the final finish, we had some good chances. But credit to Madrid as well.”

The result left Bayern with an edge ahead of the second leg in Germany next week as they try to reach the Champions League semi-finals for the first time since 2023-24, when they were eliminated by eventual champions Madrid.

“We are still alive, clearly,” Madrid coach Álvaro Arbeloa said. “We are one goal away. We have shown that we can win anywhere. We showed it with the scoring chances that we had against an opponent that we knew was going to make it difficult for us.”

Arsenal won 1-0 at Sporting Lisbon in the other quarterfinal yesterday.

Today, Barcelona will host Spanish rivals Atlético Madrid, and Liverpool will visit defending champions Paris Saint-Germain.

Madrid and Bayern are playing their sixth knockout-stage meeting in 14 seasons, with the Spanish powerhouses having won four of their five two-leg matchups since the 2011-12 season.

Kane participated in the build-up of Bayern’s first goal in the 41st minute, exchanging passes with Serge Gnabry, who ultimately fed a through ball for Luis Díaz inside the area. The Colombia forward calmly sent a low shot past Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin.

Kane scored himself in the 46th with a nice one-timer from the top of the area, firmly finding the corner with a low strike. It was his 11th Champions League goal, equalling his best scoring season in the European tournament. He finished with 11 goals in 2024-25.

Kane has scored 22 Champions League goals since the start of the 2024-25 season, the most of anybody.

Mbappé scored his 20th Champions League goal since the start of the 2024-25 season in the 74th, finding the net from close range after a pinpoint low cross by Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Mbappé leads the scoring this season with 14 goals, which is double the forward’s total last season. He is three goals shy of the most goals in a single Champions League campaign achieved by Cristiano Ronaldo with Madrid in 2013-14.

Vinícius Júnior had one of Madrid’s best chances in a one-on-one situation with Neuer in the 61st, but the Brazil forward couldn’t get past the Bayern goalkeeper, and his attempt hit the outside of the net. A few minutes later, Neuer — who had nine saves in total and was named the man of the match — dived to his right to make a nice stop on a shot by Mbappé.

Neuer had already made two tough saves to keep Madrid from finding the net in the first half on other attempts by Mbappé and Vinícius.

“I had the feeling that he was in very good shape and we needed him — not only for his experience, but his quality,” Bayern coach Vincent Kompany said of the 40-year-old Neuer. “He reacted in very difficult stages of this game. With his work rate in training, I’m not surprised.”

Madrid defender Álvaro Carreras made a goal-line clearance on a shot by Dayot Upamecano in the first half.

It was a bad touch by Carreras near midfield that led to Bayern’s second goal.

“We went out for the second half and they immediately scored,” Madrid defender Antonio Rüdiger said.

“I’d say we gifted Bayern both their goals here. We need to do better.”

Bayern lost to Inter Milan in the quarterfinals last season. Record 15-time European champions Madrid were eliminated by Arsenal in the last eight last year.

Bayern are unbeaten in their last 14 games in all competitions, with 12 wins. Madrid were coming off a 2-1 loss at Mallorca on Saturday that hurt their La Liga title hopes.