(MENAFN) In a thrilling encounter at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on Wednesday, Real Madrid secured their place in the 2024 UEFA Champions League final after a dramatic 2-1 victory over Bayern Munich. The match saw Spanish forward Joselu emerge as the hero for Real Madrid with a last-minute double, stunning the visitors and sending the home crowd into a frenzy.
The deadlock was broken in the 68th minute when Bayern Munich's Alphonso Davies unleashed a spectacular strike that found the far corner of the net, leaving Real Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin helpless. Despite Bayern's lead, Real Madrid continued to push forward, only to have an equalizer disallowed following a VAR review that deemed Nacho's challenge on Bayern midfielder Joshua Kimmich to be a foul.
However, Real Madrid's persistence paid off as Joselu stepped up to the occasion, first equalizing in the 88th minute after capitalizing on a mistake by Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. Then, in a dramatic turn of events, Joselu sealed victory for Real Madrid in stoppage time with a composed finish, courtesy of a well-timed pass from Antonio Rudiger.
Although Bayern Munich managed to pull one back through Matthijs de Ligt's late goal, it was ruled out for offside, sparking protests from the Bayern players. Nevertheless, Real Madrid held on to secure a hard-fought 2-1 win and book their place in the Champions League final at London's Wembley Stadium on June 1st.
Awaiting Real Madrid in the final is German Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund, who secured their spot by eliminating French giants Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals. Dortmund, appearing in their third Champions League final, will be seeking redemption after their defeat to Bayern Munich in the 2013 final. Meanwhile, Real Madrid, the record holders with 14 titles, will be aiming to add another trophy to their illustrious history as they strive for European glory once again.
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