As the final whistle blew and Real Madrid’s players and staff erupted in celebration, Joselu sank to the floor face first. Head buried in his hands, he sobbed as his teammates rushed to share the moment with him. Real were staring at defeat in their Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich but the 34-year-old’s twin strikes in the dying minutes had flipped the script. Having spent years in the shadows, this was, without a shadow of a doubt, the biggest moment of his career.
It was a classic Real Madrid heist at the Santiago Bernabeu. The visitors, who were held 2-2 at home in the first leg last week, took the lead against the run of play in the 68th minute thanks to an Alphonso Davies screamer. And with his weaker right foot too.
Less than three minutes of normal time remained but for Real it would be enough. They have perfected the art of coming back from the dead. Paris St-Germain, Chelsea, Manchester City know all about it. Liverpool dominated a final but Real had run out winners. In the Champions League, they always find a way. Bring on Borussia Dortmund at Wembley on June 1 for what could be a record-extending 15th Champions League crown. AC Milan are next best with seven.
It was at Real Madrid where Joselu got his big break back in 2009. But after just one appearance, he had to embark on a peripatetic journey that took him to TSG Hoffenheim, Eintracht Frankfurt, Hannover 96, Stoke City, Deportivo, Newcastle United, Alaves and Espanyol who loaned him to Real this term.
“You always dream about this, about being here at this moment,” said Joselu. “My dreams aren’t as beautiful as what happened today. As a forward, you dream of scoring goals, and if they’re like tonight’s then even better.”
Matter of luck
For all their pluck and push, Real’s breakthrough came via a large slice of luck. Manuel Neuer, Bayern’s 38-year-old goalkeeper who has won it all, was having a night to remember until he wasn’t. With Vinicius Junior having another scintillating game – a spell of dazzling brilliance in the second half had Joshua Kimmich in serious trouble – Neuer had kept final hopes alive with a number of incredible saves, one of them while sat on the floor.
Then in the 88th minute, the ball bounced out of his grip and a regulation collection transformed into a goal-scoring opportunity. Like Oliver Kahn’s fabulous 2002 World Cup campaign that was marred by his mistake in the final, Neuer was Bayern’s best player for the most part on Wednesday night but he’s unlikely to be remembered for that.
“Everyone who plays football knows how this feels,” he said, after the game. “To go out like this when you’re leading so close to the end is extremely bitter. We had one foot in London and could picture ourselves in the final already. I’m at a loss for words.”
After Gianluigi Donnarumma, Loris Karius, Edouard Mendy, goalkeepers whose uncharacteristic errors had let Real into Champions League games they had then wrested, it was Neuer who had erred. When the teams had met in 2018, it was goalie Sven Ulreich whose mistake Karim Benzema had capitalised on.
So maybe, champions make their own luck. Joselu did for the first goal. The ball bounced awkwardly in front of Neuer after Vinicius’s shot from the edge of the box. As the ball bobbed out, Joselu didn’t miss out on moving ahead of his marker to capitalise. The second goal wasn’t a straightforward tap-in either. The cross was fired in at a tricky height by Antonio Rudiger and Joselu timed his run and made sure he was ready for it. He adjusted his feet in a flash and made the right contact to guide the ball in.
It is what you pay strikers for. For all the planning that goes into a Champions League semi-final, for the talent on display, sometimes all that is needed is to throw a big, tall striker into the mix. It is any way an idea that has made a comeback. Think Haaland, Nunez, Morata and more.
“He (Joselu) is the perfect reflection of what this team is all about,” said Real coach Carlo Ancelotti. “He has given us so much, without ever losing confidence in what he’s capable of.”
