Bayern Munich Vs. Real Madrid: Mario Gomez Wins It In The 89th

Bayern Munich Vs. Real Madrid, 2012 UEFA Champions League: Mourinho And Ozil Expect Los Merengues In The Final

Despite conceding to Bayern Munich in the 89th minute and losing in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semifinal, Real Madrid are confident that they will advance to the tournament final in Munich. They are only down a goal heading to the second leg, have an away goal to their name, and maybe most importantly, get to play it at the Bernabeu.

"We don't need any crazy result in the return leg - we can win with a normal result and go through,'' Jose Mourinho said after the first leg. "I think my team can respond to this game, with our fans behind us.''

That's pretty reasonable talk. Confidence is to be expected, especially from Mourinho. What is more surprising is that one of his players has proven to be even more confident, or maybe even arrogant.

"I think that we will win the return leg,'' Mesut Ozil said. "We are a touch stronger at home.

"We believe in our strength and I am convinced that we will go through. We will be coming back to Munich again.''

That's pretty much a guarantee without a guarantee from the German. He scored Madrid's lone goal in the first leg and his team have ever reason to be confidence heading to the second lead, but to be so sure of winning and booking a spot in the final that you will say it to the press may be unwise.

Who would have ever thought that we would see Mourino outshined by one of his own players? Then again, outshining or unwise won't mean a thing if Ozil and his team go on and make good on his guarantee.

Bayern Munich Vs. Real Madrid, 2012 UEFA Champions League: Final Score, Mario Gomez Grabs Winner

Bayern Munich gave up an away goal to Real Madrid, but got the last laugh at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday. They're heading to Spain with a 2-1 lead in their UEFA Champions League semifinal tie, thanks to a late goal by Mario Gomez.

The first half featured chances for both sides, but only Bayern Munich were able to convert one into a goal. That opener came in the 16th minute, scored by Franck Ribery on a corner kick. Sergio Ramos should have been able to clear the ball away, but failed to deal with the corner and the ball fell to Ribery. From 12 yards out, he blasted a shot through traffic and past Iker Casillas to give his team the lead.

Karim Benzema had a couple of solid chances in the first half, but was never able to make Manuel Neuer make a save that wasn't routine. Madrid weren't as good as they usually were in the midfield, as Bastian Schweinsteiger and Toni Kroos did a great job to control the game.

Bayern continued to look like the slightly better side to open the second half but got burned on the counterattack for Madrid's goal. In the 53rd minute, a free kick was dealt with by Los Blancos as Sami Khedira won the ball and then started a great counter down the center. Cristiano Ronaldo had the first crack at a goal, but Neuer made a save. Madrid got the ball back and worked the ball wide right for Benzema, who put a low ball across the face of goal. It eluded everyone, but Ronaldo chased it down and fed Mesut Özil for a tap-in.

The defending on the goal was truly poor by Bayern Munich, who should have been able to manage a clearance well before the goal was scored. For a team of their caliber to allow Özil to score a tap-in at the end of that sequence is shocking, and Jupp Heynckes won't be pleased about the defending.

In the 61st minute, Bayern substituted Schweinsteiger for Thomas Müller, moving Kroos deeper in midfield. Schweinsteiger looked frustrated to be substituted, but he has been frequently injured this season and it's understandable that Heynckes had concerns about him going a full 90 minutes. Additionally, a 1-1 draw would have made Madrid heavy favorites to advance and Bayern were in need of a second goal.

They almost managed to score that goal just a minute later. Gomez was sent through on goal and looked to have a great scoring chance, but Casillas went down to stop him and got all ball, while Pepe simultaneously made a very hard shoulder-to-shoulder challenge. The two simultaneous actions caused Gomez to hit the deck hard, but neither action was a foul.

Sensing that his team was losing the midfield battle even with Schweinsteiger out, Jose Mourinho replaced Özil with Marcelo, moving Fábio Coentrão to the center of midfield. It seemed like a sensible move at the time, but Madrid would not improve their position in the game or grab a better hold of the ball in midfield. Just two minutes after that, Gomez had a golden opportunity but blasted it over the bar.

It appeared that the match was destined for a draw until the 89th minute, when Gomez's hard work throughout the match finally paid off. He was denied a penalty appeal in the 88th minute, but answered in the best way possible, scoring a goal to give his team a lead heading to Estadio Santiago Bernabéu.

Real Madrid's defending on the goal was poor, and just like the first goal, Mourinho will be disappointed that his team did not do better. Coentrão's whiff on Philipp Lahm and Álvaro Arbeloa's inability to track his man was a let down. It also was the perfect cap to a very poor night for Ramos, who was caught defending no one.

Los Blancos didn't exactly finish the game in classy fashion. Substitutes Marcelo and Gonzalo Higuaín closed out the match by picking up yellow cards. Real Madrid will be disappointed to give away a late goal, but they head home with an away goal and a solid chance to win the tie.

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You can find all of our previous live coverage of the game in our Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid, UEFA Champions League StoryStream. For more on the two teams, head over to Bayern Munich blog Bavarian Football Works and Real Madrid blog Managing Madrid.

Bayern Munich Vs. Real Madrid, 2012 Champions League Semifinal: Mario Gomez Makes It 2-1 In Injury Time

And there's a third penalty shout of the night for Bayern Munich as Mario Gomez goes down under heavy pressure from a pair of Real Madrid defenders. Unlike Franck Ribery's two early claims, however, this one seems legitimate. Sergio Ramos got to the ball ahead of the striker, to be sure, but then Fábio Coentrão went in from behind and wiped Gomez out with the ball still in play. That's a clear-cut foul; Bayern should have a penalty and Coentrão should be off. Bizarre refereeing from Howard Webb.

But now it won't matter! A late attack means that Bayern have won this! Philipp Lahm breezes past Madrid's back line and fires in a low cross from which Gomez scores! He completely mishit that ball, but his movement was such that it came back to him and ricocheted past Iker Casillas anyway! It's Bayern Munich 2-1 Real Madrid, and we've only got a couple of minutes of injury time left!

You've got to say that Real were asking for it too, sitting back on their lead like that. Silly way to end a game, that.

We have live coverage of the game in our Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid, UEFA Champions League StoryStream. For more on the two teams, head over to Bayern Munich blog Bavarian Football Works and Real Madrid blog Managing Madrid.

Bayern Munich Vs. Real Madrid, 2012 Champions League Semifinal: Ribery Begs For Imaginary Penalty

Another penalty shout from Franck Ribery, and just like the first one, it was complete nonsense. The winger did brilliantly to get behind the Real Madrid defence, who looked utterly baffled as he flicked the ball over his shoulder and raced around them, but then he cut the ball back instead of shooting, and Fábio Coentrão eventually cleared via a deflection off Pepe. Ribery wants a handball call on Pepe, and he's furious about it, a situation made much more amusing by the fact that Coentrão's kick hit the centre back square in the chest. Never, ever a penalty.

Here's Madrid's last roll of the dice -- Gonzalo Higuaín for Karim Benzema. That's a straight swap, with no interesting tactical changes. Presumably Jose Mourinho just wants fresh legs against a tired Bayern Munich defence now.

Do Bayern have a response? They've looked like they're more than capable of scoring again this half, and Mario Gomez, again, has just squandered a clear-cut chance when he rose above his marker and glanced a Toni Kroos shot straight into the arms of Iker Casillas. It's just not his day. Still 1-1 here, with not much time to go.

We have live coverage of the game in our Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid, UEFA Champions League StoryStream. For more on the two teams, head over to Bayern Munich blog Bavarian Football Works and Real Madrid blog Managing Madrid.

Bayern Munich Vs. Real Madrid, 2012 Champions League Semifinal: Ramos Booked, Di María Subbed

There's about 10 minutes left in this one, and it's still Bayern Munich 1-1 Real Madrid at the Allianz Arena. Since Mesut Özil's equaliser, it's been basically all Bayern -- the visitors are looking to simply sit back and hit their opponents on the counterattack, which hasn't really worked very well of late because Bayern are doing such a great job of keeping the ball. An overly exuberant attempt to rectify that particular situation from Sergio Ramos has led to a yellow card for the centre back after a nasty tackle on Thomas Müller.

Here's another sub by Jose Mourinho -- Ángel di María, who was Madrid's standout player in the first half, has been replaced by Esteban Granero, a central midfielder. This means that the visitors are probably in a 4-3-3 with Marcelo on Karim Benzema's left, in case you're the sort of person who needs to know the formation at all times, in which case you're a weirdo.

We have live coverage of the game in our Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid, UEFA Champions League StoryStream. For more on the two teams, head over to Bayern Munich blog Bavarian Football Works and Real Madrid blog Managing Madrid.

Bayern Munich Vs. Real Madrid, 2012 Champions League Semifinal: Gomez Blows 2 Chances

Oh, dearie me, Mario Gomez. The big striker's just blown a great chance to get Bayern Munich back in front -- and I mean gilt-edged.

Franck Ribery was brought down by Álvaro Arbeloa near the left touchline, and the free kick was misjudged by Sergio Ramos and given straight to Gomez all of four yards from the net. Sure, he didn't have much time, but he should have done better than simply blasting well over in that situation.

And there's another chance for Gomez, and another miss! Arjen Robben's cross found him unmarked all of eight yards from goal, and Gomez hit it at least six feet over the bar. Shades of Euro 2008 there from the Bayern Munich man.

Incidentally, it looks as though the Marcelo substitution means a bit of a strange shape for Madrid, because the Brazilian isn't playing left back. Instead, he's at left wing, with Cristiano Ronaldo going to the right and Ángel di María in the middle. It's odd, but Jose Mourinho knows what he's doing.

We have live coverage of the game in our Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid, UEFA Champions League StoryStream. For more on the two teams, head over to Bayern Munich blog Bavarian Football Works and Real Madrid blog Managing Madrid.

Bayern Munich Vs. Real Madrid, 2012 Champions League Semifinal: Marcelo In For Özil

Bayern Munich's good spell continues. Franck Ribery came very close to breaking down the Real Madrid left only for a not-very-nice foul to take him out of the picture. The hosts were able to keep the ball in the opposition half for a good few minutes after that foul, peppering Iker Casillas' penalty area with crosses and generally causing much consternation for Jose Mourinho, who looks just about ready to make a change.

Said change turns out to be Mesut Özil going out in favor of Marcelo, which is an interesting one because it means a change in shape. Presumably, Fábio Coentrão will move from left back to the centre of midfield in a deep 4-3-3 to accommodate the newcomer. It's a defensive-looking move, but Özil's not going to do much for you when you're playing almost exclusively on the counterattack anyway.

We have live coverage of the game in our Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid, UEFA Champions League StoryStream. For more on the two teams, head over to Bayern Munich blog Bavarian Football Works and Real Madrid blog Managing Madrid.

Bayern Munich Vs. Real Madrid, 2012 Champions League Semifinal: Schweinsteiger Off For Müller

That away goal from Real Madrid has changed the whole complexion of the tie, and Bayern Munich are working furiously to reestablish their lead. They nearly managed it from a similar play to the one Madrid just scored from, with Arjen Robben squirming through the back line and cutting the ball back, but instead of meeting a friendly foot it was scrambled clear by the Madrid defence. The eventual corner didn't come to a whole lot.

And now here's an interesting change. Bastian Schweinsteiger, who, when fit, is Bayern's best player, is off and Thomas Müller is on in his place. Toni Kroos will presumably drop back into the pivot. It's an aggressive move from Bayern, although it may have been a forced one -- Schweinsteiger's injury history makes this one difficult to figure out.

Said move very nearly paid off immediately as Mario Gomez was released for a run on Iker Casillas' goal, but the big striker was thwarted when Casillas sprinted off his line and just about reached it ahead of him. We've had a strong reaction from Bayern, anyway, and it would be no surprise if they got another.

We have live coverage of the game in our Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid, UEFA Champions League StoryStream. For more on the two teams, head over to Bayern Munich blog Bavarian Football Works and Real Madrid blog Managing Madrid.

Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid, 2012 Champions League Semifinal: Mesut Ozil Makes It 1-1

Well that was odd. Real Madrid have got their away goal and are level, but goodness that goal was a mess. Bastian Schweinsteiger lost out to Xabi Alonso at the top of Iker Casillas' penalty box, and the visitors were able to unleash one of their trademark counterattacks when the midfielder fed Angel di Maria down the centre. The winger passed to Karim Benzema, who drew Bayern Munich's defenders away before slipping in Cristiano Ronaldo for a free run on goal.

At this point all seems normal. You'd expect Ronaldo to score from six yards, even against Manuel Neuer. Instead, however, he blasted straight at the goalkeeper's knees, and the chance seemed to have vanished because red shirts were back in force. In a hugely lucky break for Madrid, the rebound went straight to Benzema, who was able to skip around the defence and square back across the goal, with Ronaldo getting to the ball just before it went over the byline, and his cutback bounced off Mesut Ozil and in. Not the prettiest goal you'll see, but it's 1-1 and so Madrid won't care much.

In the aftermath, both Alonso and Fabio Coentrao are booked as they prevent the hosts from breaking up the pitch with a pair of rather cynical challenges. That's a wee bit exuberant.

We have live coverage of the game in our Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid, UEFA Champions League StoryStream. For more on the two teams, head over to Bayern Munich blog Bavarian Football Works and Real Madrid blog Managing Madrid.

Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid, 2012 Champions League Semifinal: Lots Of Long Passes

Let me explain the way play has gone so far in the second half. Real Madrid win the ball. Possession goes back to the defence or a deep-lying midfielder. They try a long aerial pass to Karim Benzema through the centre. Jerome Boateng cuts it out. Rinse and repeat.

Oh, but there's something new. On their fifth attempt of the young half, Madrid finally finds Benzema in space, although the ball sits up for him for a little too long and he can't get the shot away before Jerome Boateng comes in and blasts it away. The more things change, the more they stay the same, right?

Anyway, now that Madrid have found their passing range against this Bayern Munich defence, you'd expect some more chances, but the strikers aren't really doing very much with the ball when they do get it. Benzema's just managed to send a floating 30 mph cross straight into Manuel Neuer's arms from all of 18 yards. Really not sure what he was going for there, but I'm going to assume that wasn't it. Still 1-0 to Bayern here.

We have live coverage of the game in our Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid, UEFA Champions League StoryStream. For more on the two teams, head over to Bayern Munich blog Bavarian Football Works and Real Madrid blog Managing Madrid.

Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid, 2012 Champions League Semifinal: 2nd Half Underway

The second half is underway as Real Madrid take on Bayern Munich in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinal. The visitors are trailing 1-0, and if you want a recap of how the first half went, look no further than the .gif below:

Or you could read the rest of this Story Stream. It's all in there. Anyway, Madrid kick us off to start the second half, and they're going to have to do much better if they're going to get that away goal they'd like, because apart from a couple of Karim Benzema chances they've been pretty tame. Their first piece of possession lasts all of ten seconds and ends with the ball being belted out of play for some reason, so that's not going to be particularly helpful.

The visitors do get into the Bayern Munich half, however, where Fabio Coentrao wastes a rather good opportunity by blasting a speculative shot straight at a defender's foot from 30 yards when he had Cristiano Ronaldo free on the left wing. Some odd decision-making going on here.

We have live coverage of the game in our Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid, UEFA Champions League StoryStream. For more on the two teams, head over to Bayern Munich blog Bavarian Football Works and Real Madrid blog Managing Madrid.

Bayern Munich Vs. Real Madrid, 2012 UEFA Champions League: Halftime Score, Franck Ribery Has Bavarians Ahead

UPDATE: Bayern Munich 2-1 Real Madrid Final Score

Bayern Munich are halfway to a massive result that could make them slight favorites to advance in the UEFA Champions League semifinals. After a brilliant first 45 minutes of play, they lead Real Madrid 1-0 off of a goal by Franck Ribery.

Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes made one major adjustment from the team usually considered to be his first choice side, bringing in Toni Kroos from Thomas Müller. While Kroos doesn't have nearly the same nose for goal as the man he's in for, he is a natural midfield player and has been helpful so far in checking the runs of Sami Khedira. He's also passing the ball well, and Bayern's possession is a big part of why Madrid have been light on clear-cut chances.

Even though Madrid have struggled for chances, they did have the first big chance of the day. Mesut Özil slipped a brilliant through ball to Karim Benzema in the 7th minute and he put a decent effort on target, but he hit his shot towards the middle of the goal. Manuel Neuer made a very good save, but it was one that a keeper of his caliber will be expected to make every time.

Just before the Bayern goal, Ribery went down easily in the penalty area and protested for a penalty. Though Sergio Ramos did briefly grab his shirt, he took no action that would have caused Ribery to go down and Howard Webb was correct not to give a penalty. A minute later, Ribery took matters into his own hands and Ramos was mostly at fault for the goal.

On a corner kick, the ball fell to Ramos, who was unable to clear. In his attempt to bring the ball down, he appeared to actively use his arm to play the ball. Had the chance not been finished off, Bayern would have had a legitimate gripe at the lack of a handball call, but the ball fell to Ribery who hit a rocket of a shot past Iker Casillas and into the back of the net to give his side a 1-0 lead in the 17th minute.

Bayern looked extremely confident in the half hour of play following the goal and spent a solid portion of the period keeping the ball in their opposition's half. A 1-0 loss would not be a disaster for Madrid, but Jose Mourinho will not be happy if his side does not have an away goal heading back to Santiago Bernabeu.

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We'll have live coverage of the game in our Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid, UEFA Champions League StoryStream. For more on the two teams, head over to Bayern Munich blog Bavarian Football Works and Real Madrid blog Managing Madrid.

Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid, 2012 Champions League Semifinal: Late Free Kick For Bayern Comes To Naught

Down 1-0 just before the half, Real Madrid are... playing like they have for most of the match, dominating possession before being met with a wave of impenetrable-seeming red shirts as soon as they try to press the attack. Bayern Munich are defending their lead very well indeed, and right now it's looking as though something special will be required if the visitors are going to get that critical away goal today.

Nothing special appears to be forthcoming, however, at least on the Madrid end. The chances are actually coming for Bayern, where Mario Gomez has just managed to win a free kick on the edge of the box while surrounded by no less than three white shirts. This looks like it'll probably be the last chance of the half. Toni Kroos stands over the ball...

...and hits the wall. That was anticlimactic. Halftime now.

We have live coverage of the game in our Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid, UEFA Champions League StoryStream. For more on the two teams, head over to Bayern Munich blog Bavarian Football Works and Real Madrid blog Managing Madrid.

Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid, 2012 Champions League Semifinal: Chances At Both Ends

The free kick that resulted from Arjen Robben's foul on Cristiano Ronaldo ended up flicked goalwards by Karim Benzema, where Manuel Neuer was forced to punch clear under pressure from Sergio Ramos - one of those incidents that was uncomfortable but never looked much like a possible goal, if you know what I mean. Bayern eventually clear, only to lose the ball again when Robben decides to rake Fabio Coentrao with as many studs as possibly, earning himself a yellow card, much to his annoyance. Robben, it seems, appears to believe that one of the rules of the game is that Arjen Robben can't foul people, so that's nice.

Oh, and chances at both ends! Benzema retrieves a long ball in the corner, cuts inside his man, and with his options including a near post shot, a far post shot and a square pass to Ronaldo, blasts straight at Neuer for some reason, and the former Schalke goalkeeper is able to save and quickly distribute. That eventually leads to Mario Gomez getting free down the left channel, which forces Iker Casillas into a very impressive save from his first-time shot. Nice goalkeeping there. It's still 1-0 Bayern, and the halfway mark's getting close.

We have live coverage of the game in our Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid, UEFA Champions League StoryStream. For more on the two teams, head over to Bayern Munich blog Bavarian Football Works and Real Madrid blog Managing Madrid.

Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid, 2012 Champions League Semifinal: Mesut Ozil Is Too Smart For Us Mere Mortals

Mesut Ozil attempts to give Real Madrid, who are down 1-0 against Bayern Munich a little over half an hour into the first leg of their Champions League semifinal, some sort of spark. He opts to do this by running over to the touchline and falling down. They say Ozil's a footballing genius, and I have to admit that the rationale behind running the ball out of play under minimal pressure is just too much for my puny intellect to grasp.

Anyway, Madrid still haven't mounted much in the way of an effective attack since Franck Ribery's goal, and the only player who looks particularly threatening is the dynamic Angel di Maria, who's already beaten at least ten defenders with his dribbling. Oh, this is interesting, though - Arjen Robben fouls Cristiano Ronaldo in a dangerous position and then accusses the Madrid star of diving. That's really really really funny.

We have live coverage of the game in our Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid, UEFA Champions League StoryStream. For more on the two teams, head over to Bayern Munich blog Bavarian Football Works and Real Madrid blog Managing Madrid.

Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid, 2012 Champions League Semifinal: Badstuber Earns Game's First Booking

We've had ten minutes since Franck Ribery's opening goal here at the Allianz Arena, and it's Bayern Munich, not Real Madrid, who've come closest to scoring since. It's Bastian Schweinsteiger who makes the chance with a driving run forward that eventually ends with the midfielder unleashing a vicious long-range shot that buzzes perilously close to Iker Casillas' right-hand post. That was a pretty nice piece of work.

Real are trying to come up with some sort of answer, and any reply will probably come from goal machine Cristiano Ronaldo. They know it, too - Angel di Maria carves a path down the centre of the pitch for Ronaldo to exploit, but instead of getting a curling effort on target he goes for power and blasts over the crossbar instead. Not that useful from Ronaldo there. Second later, another di Maria run draws Holger Badstuber into a silly challenge that earns him the game's first yellow card.

We have live coverage of the game in our Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid, UEFA Champions League StoryStream. For more on the two teams, head over to Bayern Munich blog Bavarian Football Works and Real Madrid blog Managing Madrid.

Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid, 2012 Champions League Semifinal: Bayern Threatening On The Counter

So, it's back to Real Madrid pressuring Bayern Munich, only now the hosts have a 1-0 lead that Real will have to try to break down. They nearly manage it by accident when a very long pass from Pepe causes mass confusion in the home defence, with Manuel Neuer forced to punch clear and falling over in the process. No white shirts are around to take advantage.

Real haven't really threatened since that early chance from Karim Benzema, and it's the home side that looks the more dangerous during their rare forays forwards. If Bayern can play on the counterattack, they can almost certainly win this, and that would make the second leg very, very interesting. Meanwhile, Howard Webb manages to screw the hosts out of a corner, which is probably part of some giant conspiracy to empower Madrid or something.

We have live coverage of the game in our Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid, UEFA Champions League StoryStream. For more on the two teams, head over to Bayern Munich blog Bavarian Football Works and Real Madrid blog Managing Madrid.

Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid, 2012 Champions League Semifinal: Franck Ribery Gives Bayern 1-0 Lead

And that Bayern Munich pressure pays off. The hosts win a corner against the run of play and some calamitous defending on Real Madrid's part has given them a 1-0 lead! Toni Kroos' delivery cannons off Holger Badsturber, who knows basically nothing about it, and with white shirts standing around in a state of no small confusion, Franck Ribery nicks in and slots part an unsighted Iker Casillas. Real Madrid are protesting offside, which is pretty funny.

Anyway, that's a good piece of revenge from Ribery after not being given his penalty call (because he dived). Advantage to the home side, and Real Madrid are going to have to mount some sort of interesting response to get back into this one. Cristiano Ronaldo attempts to provide it with a free kick after he was fouled by Phillipp Lahm, but he blasts well over Manuel Neuer's goal. Waste.

We have live coverage of the game in our Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid, UEFA Champions League StoryStream. For more on the two teams, head over to Bayern Munich blog Bavarian Football Works and Real Madrid blog Managing Madrid.

Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid, 2012 Champions League Semifinal: Early Reffing Incidents Ahoy

Well there's your first incident of the match. Fabio Coentrao, distraught at... being on a football pitch or whatever, catches Arjen Robben in the centre circle and causes a bit of a fuss as Bayern Munich ask for a booking, which he'd have undoubtedly have received if we were in the second half. As it was, Howard Webb simply gave the Portuguese a stern talking too.

And then there's another! Franck Ribery dances into the Real Madrid penalty box and while skipping past Sergio Ramos/miscontrolling opts to take the easy way out and throws himself to the ground, demanding a penalty. It did look fairly compelling live, but Webb is having none of it, much to the hosts' disdain. This is better from Bayern, though - they're starting to actually put some pressure on Jose Mourinho's men.

We have live coverage of the game in our Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid, UEFA Champions League StoryStream. For more on the two teams, head over to Bayern Munich blog Bavarian Football Works and Real Madrid blog Managing Madrid.

Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid, 2012 Champions League Semifinal: Real Dominating Early Stages

That Karim Benzema chance has sparked a spell of strong Real Madrid pressure as the visitors are pinning back Bayern Munich well inside their own half. They're struggling to find a way through the massed ranks of red shirts, though - a few corners come to not much at all and Manuel Neuer is not called into action once more. A lot of bark and, aside from a Mesut Ozil pass, not much in the way of bite from Jose Mourinho's men.

Still, they're doing better than Bayern are. Madrid are keeping possession and frustrating the home crowd, who are whistling their disapproval whenever a white shirt is on the ball, which by my early estimate is about 80% of the time. The latest attack ends in disappointment when Xabi Alonso plays a pass so good that the linesman doesn't believe that Ozil can possibly be onside. He was. Chance for Bayern to regroup?

We have live coverage of the game in our Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid, UEFA Champions League StoryStream. For more on the two teams, head over to Bayern Munich blog Bavarian Football Works and Real Madrid blog Managing Madrid.

Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid, 2012 Champions League Semifinal: First Chance Falls To Benzema

Some attacking play now at the Allianz. with both teams firing in crosses to little effect, but nothing especially threatening to either goal. Toni Kroos has a decent chance to worry Iker Casillas, and his delivery from a forty yard free kick is pretty handy, but Real Madrid just about manage to scramble clear before the ball can get to the likes of Mario Gomez.

At the other end of the pitch Xabi Alonso has come within about six inches of picking out Angel di Maria with an eighty yard crossfield pass that would have made Paul Scholes weep if he wasn't a football robot incapable of tears, but the winger can't quite control and the chance is wasted. Not for long, however - Bayern Munich bizarrely give possession away in their own half and Mesut Ozil is on hand to pass to Karim Benzema, racing through on goal. His first-time shot is batted behind for a corner by Manuel Neuer. Said corner comes to nothing. First chance to Real, but it's 0-0 still.

We have live coverage of the game in our Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid, UEFA Champions League StoryStream. For more on the two teams, head over to Bayern Munich blog Bavarian Football Works and Real Madrid blog Managing Madrid.

Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid, 2012 Champions League Semifinal: Match Underway

We're underway in the Allianz Arena, where Bayern Munich are hosting Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League semifinals. Both sides will be attacking today - Bayern know they need a win here to have much of a chance of knocking their opponents out at the Santiago Bernabeu next week, and Los Blancos will be pushing hard for that critical away goal.

The home side, in red, have got us going and manage to keep the ball for almost a minute before Sami Khedira retrieves possession, which is immediately squandered thanks to a nice piece of pressing from Mario Gomez. A minor battle between Franck Ribery and Angel di Maria ensues, which the Argentine wins only to run into a thicket of red shirts and then immediately lose the ball. Not a whole lot going on so far.

We have live coverage of the game in our Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid, UEFA Champions League StoryStream. For more on the two teams, head over to Bayern Munich blog Bavarian Football Works and Real Madrid blog Managing Madrid.

Bayern Munich Vs. Real Madrid, 2012 UEFA Champions League Semifinal: Lineups

Bayern Munich host Real Madrid at the Allianz Arena as Los Blancos attempt to reach their first UEFA Champions League final in ten years, while Bayern, 2010's losing finalists, will be attempting to get some measure of revenge on Jose Mourinho, whose Inter Milan side beat them at the Santiago Bernabeu two years ago.

Both teams are starting more or less their expected personnel and shape. Mario Gomez leads Bayern's devastating quartet of attacking players, while the visitors' dangerman is none other than Cristiano Ronaldo, who appears to be more or less single-handedly winning Madrid their domestic title. With Bayern holding home-pitch advantage, this one is pretty evenly matched. Let's see how it goes.

Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1): Manuel Neuer; David Alaba, Holger Badstuber, Jerome Boateng, Phillip Lahm; Bastian Schweinsteiger, Luiz Gustavo; Franck Ribery, Toni Kroos, Arjen Robben; Mario Gomez.

Substitutes from: Hans-Jorg Butt, Danijel Pranjic, Rafinha, Ivica Olic, Anatoliy Tymoschuk, Thomas Muller.

Real Madrid starting lineup (4-2-3-1): Iker Casillas; Fabio Coentrao, Pepe, Sergio Ramos, Alvaro Arbeloa; Xabi Alonso, Sami Khedira; Cristiano Ronaldo, Mesut Özil, Angel Di Maria; Karim Benzema.

Substitutes from: Kaka, Raul Albiol, Gonzalo Higuain, Marcelo, Antonio Adan, Esteban Granero, Raphael Varane.

We'll have live coverage of the game in our Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid, UEFA Champions League StoryStream. For more on the two teams, head over to Bayern Munich blog Bavarian Football Works and Real Madrid blog Managing Madrid.

Bayern Munich Vs. Real Madrid, 2012 UEFA Champions League: Bayern Too Predictable?

At times this season, Bayern Munich have seemed like the only team capable of touching the same sorts of heights as Barcelona and Real Madrid. When Bayern are on, they're on, scoring basically at will through the potent front four of Mario Gomez, Franck Ribery, Thomas Muller and Arjen Robben. However, those heady days seem to come in random bursts, and in between the doldrums of mediocrity (by Bayern standards) set in.

The reason (ok, Bastian Schweinsteiger's injury problems are another reason) that Bayern are second in the Bundesliga instead of first is that they combine the unfortunate attributes of being both inconsistent and completely and utterly predictable. Teams know how to shut them down, and all too often there's not a thing Bayern are able to do about it. So, it's no surprise that Phil Pierson over at Bavarian Football Works thinks that, well, there will be no surprises:

No need for rotation at this point, this one's for all the marbles. It's conceivable that Jupp Heynckes could make a change to protect one of the several Bayern players one yellow away from suspension while we're at home, but that's very unlikely. Bayern will bring our "A" line-up, which is pretty much assured except for the question of whether to put Kroos in the midfield or to leave him on the bench for a late burst of offense and start with Gustavo's toughness and tackling power.

My prediction:

Starting lineup - Neuer; Alaba, Badstuber, Boateng, Lahm; Schweinsteiger, Gustavo; Ribery, Mueller, Robben; Gomez.

Substitutes from - Kroos, Olic, Tymochuk, Rafinha etc..

This would be the standard and most predictable line-up. Any chance Heynckes has been cooking up some secret new formation and is ready to bust it out at this most-urgent time? Hmmm ... nah, although that would make for an interesting scene.

Surely Bayern will have to adapt in order to stand much chance of being Real Madrid, who are led by one of the best tacticians in the world. Right?

We'll have live coverage of the game in our Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid, UEFA Champions League StoryStream. For more on the two teams, head over to Bayern Munich blog Bavarian Football Works and Real Madrid blog Managing Madrid.

Bayern Munich Vs. Real Madrid, 2012 UEFA Champions League: History Weighted Against Los Blancos

With recent form - and on-paper talent - seeming to indicate that Real Madrid should be heavily favoured over Bayern Munich, you might not be expecting Madrid fans to be worrying over their opponents. After all, it's not like they're facing Barcelona and the combined might of UNICEF (according to some). They're going up against a team that's second in the Bundesliga and one which just drew to 12th-place Mainz. At home.

And yet, the weight of history is bearing down on Los Blancos. They don't have a strong record against German sides (especially on their travels), and Bayern in particular have been very tricky opposition. As Dennis from Managing Madrid points out, his side have been knocked out at this stage of the competition by their current antagonists three out of the four times they've been drawn together:

Cue the ominous music as long-time Madridistas can certainly corroborate the fact that Germany is one place where los blancos have struggled throughout their illustrious history, winning only once in 22 attempts. More to the point, Madrid are also winless in their nine previous visits to Munich, losing three of the four previous semifinals ties against Bayern.

Madrid do, of course, have a trump card. Several, in fact. Disregarding the fact that they're the better side in most areas of the pitch, they also have a coach in Jose Mourinho who has what it takes to beat Bayern in big games - his most recent Champions League triumph came against this very side. Oh, and they have Cristiano Ronaldo too. I hear he's pretty good.

For more on Los Blancos, check out SB Nation Madrid blog Managing Madrid. For their opposition, visit Bavarian Football Works. We'll have more pre-game updates, as well as live coverage of the match, in this story stream, so stay tuned!

Bayern Munich Vs. Real Madrid, 2012 UEFA Champions League Semifinal: Bavarians To Catch Los Merengues Looking Ahead?

Real Madrid are favorites in their tie against Bayern Munich, who will be hoping to catch Los Merengues looking ahead to El Clasico.

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