Joselu and the magic of the Bernabeu take Real Madrid into another final

When Alphonso Davies scored Bayern Munich's goal, he had no idea the hurricane was about to pass through the Bernabeu. The Canadian, who could be in white in two months' time, finished the perfect counter-attack and silenced the stadium so that it was the Bavarians who shook the foundations of the fourth amphitheatre.

Ancelotti brought on more firepower. Brahim, Modric, Camavinga... and a striker born in Stuttgart called Joselu Mato. A 9 that Real Madrid haven't seen for years with the obligation to turn the game around or, at least, take it to extra time. The mission was not impossible, but the sensations were not the same as two seasons ago. The team did not dominate, did not sink Bayern and let themselves be carried away by their opponents' time wasting.  

Nacho's equaliser was disallowed for a foul by the defender. But inertia began to make Real Madrid believe. Neuer had the only miss of the match. He had made saves worthy of Oliver Kahn, but an easy shot slipped past him and Joselu equalised. The second goal was a cross from Rüdiger that the Galician striker sent in with his shin and which the VAR had to validate.  

At that moment the Bernabéu was working the miracle of 2022. There were nine minutes left plus another two minutes added by the Polish referee. It was impossible for the 18th final in their history to slip away. Tuchel had dismantled his team with changes prepared to hold on at 0-1 to get in behind and wait for the final whistle.   

De Ligt equalised in the final minute. Another miracle was worked at the Castellana. The linesman raised his flag and the referee blew an offside whistle that will always remain a mystery because the VAR could not come in to correct something that had been whistled on the pitch. Logically, the referees should have let the play finish and then reviewed it, as happened with Joselu's goal, but something made them whistle and deactivate the technology.  

It is part of Real Madrid's magic in Europe. A team whose presence moves people's will, however small it may be. Nobody will know what happened in that disallowed play before the goal, but in the memory will be a team that is back in the Champions League final two years later to win the 15th European title in its history.   

The road to Wembley will take them through three league games where Ancelotti will have to decide what to do with the goal. If he gives the prize of playing it to Lunin or returns Courtois to the eleven after his injury. There is also the question of whether Nacho will play, possibly, his last game or it will be Militao who returns to the backline.   

Bellingham has a month to recover and be at his best. London awaits the European champions, Real Madrid want to debut in the city where they have never won the Champions League, and Dortmund, who do not want to be a guest at the party on 1 June.