Real Madrid lost 2-1 to Bayern Munich in the first leg, but the night belonged to Kylian Mbappé, who scored a crucial goal and kept the tie alive for the Spanish club. Aurélien Tchouaméni was booked and will miss the second leg, leaving Carlo Ancelotti with a suspension problem before the return match.
Andriy Lunin made five saves to keep the damage from getting worse, while Éder Militão produced a crucial defensive intervention late on that prevented Bayern from adding a third. The match also exposed plenty of rough edges: Trent Alexander-Arnold completed only two of his 11 long-ball attempts, Álvaro Carreras was tormented by Olise all night and Vinícius Jr gave the ball away dangerously four times.
There were better signs too. Fede Valverde drove the ball forward well in transition, Brahim Díaz helped Real Madrid control possession and Arda Güler was the best performer on the night, earning a 7.5 rating in a performance that stood out in a 2-1 defeat. The player ratings from the first leg back up that split picture, with Real Madrid showing enough to argue they can still find a way through the tie while also carrying clear weaknesses into the return leg.
Read Also: Andriy Lunin’s Champions League record grows as Courtois remains out
The biggest concern is not the score alone but the imbalance it created. Real Madrid now have to chase the second leg without Tchouaméni, after a first match that delivered a crucial Mbappé goal, a strong showing from Lunin and enough loose defending to leave Bayern with the edge.
