As expected, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich played out a Champions League semifinal for the ages. After an even first leg that ended up 2-2 at the Allianz Arena, it looked like Bayern would pull off a win at the Santiago Bernabeu and reach Thomas Tuchel’s third career Champions League Final.
Instead, Tuchel will end his only full season at Bayern Munich with no Bundesliga title and no chance at redemption in the Champions League.
That’s partially thanks to Real Madrid super-sub Joselu, who affirmed he is one of the most underrated players in world football with a poacher’s brace to lift his childhood club to another improbable late-game Remontada at the Bernabeu on a Champions League night.
But unfortunately for Bayern Munich and the wider footballing discourse, it’s also partially because of an awful call in the literal dying seconds of another controversy-filled European Clasico.
It looked like Matthijs de Ligt had an equalizer at 2-2, but the linesman ruled Noussair Mazraoui offsides. Worse yet, instead of allowing the play to develop in case there is a goal and the offsides can overturn it later, the linesman prematurely blew his whistle.
Because he blew the whistle dead an it can be argued that Real Madrid’s players stopped playing because of a stoppage in play, de Ligt’s goal can never count. The offsides decision cannot be overturned, and the goal cannot be given back to Bayern Munich.
Real Madrid benefited from some controversial calls on the road to another Champions League Final with a second leg semifinal triumph over Bayern Munich back in the Cristiano Ronaldo era, and this latest call will only raise the bad blood between some of the fans at these prestigious clubs.
It is a heartbreaking end to a difficult season for Bayern Munich in which they showed a lot of resiliency in this Champions League semifinal at the Bernabeu.
But such is life. Bad calls happen. Bayern were not offsides and the ref should have never blown his whistle, but there are other plays Bayern could have made – or not made – to win this second leg.
Real Madrid fans will say that is football. You take what you can get. For neutrals, the controversy either adds a bitterness to a great game or proves to be a cherry on top, because some are just here for the memes.
The managing editor of The Trivela Effect, Kevin has 15 years of experience in digital media. He has been an editor for NFL Spin Zone, Daily DDT for pro wrestling, Autzen Zoo covering the Oregon Ducks, Musket Fire covering the New England Patriots, The Real Champs covering Real Madrid, Old Juve covering Juventus, Rush The Kop covering Liverpool, and Release The Knappen covering Schalke. His work has been featured in ESPN, Bleacher Report, Yahoo! Sports, NBC Sports, and other outlets. You can contact him at the site’s official Twitter handle @TrivelaEffect or via the site’s official email thetrivelaeffect@gmail.com.