For Real Madrid, the 2016/17 season was about making history.
Zinedine Zidane’s men wanted to be the first side to ever retain the Champions League, but when they were drawn against German giants Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals of the competition, the realization of why no one had ever won the back-to-back titles became clear.
In the first stage, Real was largely played out but was drawn to victory by Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored two goals in the second half and beat Javi Martinez in two yellow cards to kick Real to a surprising 2-1 victory.
It was not beautiful, but at least there was no controversy about it. This was just Ronaldo doing Ronaldo stuff. Bayern, who had deserved the victory, were not the first team to fall short for him and they would not be the last.
The second part, however, was full of drama and controversy.
Things started at an electric pace. Both sides had many chances cleared from the line, but the first blood went to Bayern shortly after the break when Robert Lewandowski stepped up to convert a penalty. Bet on.
From that time on, Real seemed to lose his head. They could not get a grip on the game as Bayern pressed and pressed and pressed for the second goal needed to guarantee them a place in the semifinals.
Marcelo & Kimmich Struggle for Possession | Power Sport Images / Getty Images
Arturo Vidal missed a fantastic opportunity to put that one up, but his header was tipped over the bar by the visitors’ keeper.
The nervous nature of Real’s performance was obvious and just 36 seconds after Ronaldo’s nod it was almost deadly. Los Blancos were all shaken to the back and a big foul communication saw Sergio Ramos throw the ball into his own net with the kind of precision that would have made him a hero if it had been at the other end.
Keylor Navas and Nacho Fernandez both expected to get the ball, and all three sat with eggs in their faces as Bayern celebrated the fact that they went to extra time.
It had been scary at this point, but in the 84th minute it started to get messy.
The referee took center stage for Power Sport Images / Getty Images
Marco Asensio charged down the left and had a wonderful opportunity to score the equalizer for Vidal, but the shot went well wide of the goal. The Chilean was booked, and since he had already seen yellow earlier in the game, he was gone. A pure challenge had left Bayern in the sword.
“In a quarter-final you have to put a better referee, or it’s right now to introduce video refereeing, which is what UEFA is trying to do, because there are too many errors,” Bayern boss Carlo Ancelotti (via BBC Sport) said after the game.
Despite their disadvantage, Bayern held on for a long time, but their mood was broken once again by Ronaldo. He fired his 100th Champions League goal home in the 105th minute – Madrid’s neighbors Atletico reached 100 as a club that night – but the problem was that he was clearly offside when he got the ball.
Two huge decisions had been made against Bavaria, and the Germans collapsed after that. Ronaldo finished his hat-trick after the interval and Asensio hit a fourth to make this tie look much more comfortable than it was.
Cristiano Ronaldo with the perfect hat trick?
? On this day in 2017, the Champions League predator constantly beat Bayern Munich? Pic.twitter.com/sjQ5rWza4x
– Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) 18 April 2020
Real would continue to beat Atletico in the semi-finals and Juventus in the final and seal their place in history as the first side to win the back-to-back Champions League, but whether they should have had the chance to get this far is up for debate.
It was this game that created the story ‘Real paid refs’ that dominated Twitter for a few years. Everything that could have gone against Bayern did so.
Real undoubtedly cycled more than his fair luck in this tie, but sometimes all you need is the greatest goal scorer in the history of football to guide you through.
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