The Champions League semifinals, which had been as exciting as expected, have concluded.
The winners are Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid.
Both teams have shown that they deserve to face off at Wembley Stadium.
Match 1: Bayern Munich vs Real Madrid
Winner: Real Madrid
It only took 2 minutes to decide the outcome of a 180-minute battle.
The first leg at the Allianz Arena ended in a draw.
For Bayern fans, especially Korean fans, it must have been a tough match to watch.
All of Bayern’s goals conceded were due to mistakes made by Kim Min-jae.
In the first half, Bayern started to dominate the game, pushing Real Madrid back.
They effectively blocked Real's counterattacks, and Kim Min-jae was performing well up until the 24th minute when he made a crucial mistake.
Kim tried to intercept a pass while stepping out of the defensive line,
but it was Toni Kroos who quickly recognized the situation and passed to Vinicius,
who capitalized on the opportunity, leaving Bayern stunned.
Although Kim Min-jae’s mistake was significant,
Toni Kroos's quick thinking and passing ability should not be overlooked.
It takes exceptional skill to see and exploit such a defensive lapse.
In the second half, Leroy Sané's lightning goal and Harry Kane's penalty put Bayern in the lead.
However, late in the second half, Kim Min-jae conceded a penalty while trying to block Rodrygo, who received a killer pass from Luka Modric.
Vinicius converted the penalty, bringing the score level and ending the first leg in disappointment for Bayern.
It was unfortunate because he had been playing well until then.
He won the speed duel against Vinicius in a counterattack and made crucial stops, showing that he was indeed performing admirably.
However, that one penalty overshadowed everything.
Vinicius converted the penalty smoothly, bringing the game back to square one, and the first leg ended disappointingly for Bayern.
For Kim Min-jae, it was undoubtedly one of the worst nights of his career..
The second leg at the Bernabéu had a different dynamic.
Real Madrid controlled the game with high possession,
while Bayern played cautiously on their away ground.
Both teams were careful, knowing that a single mistake could be fatal.
Real Madrid created more chances and took more shots,
but Bayern's goal was guarded by the experienced Manuel Neuer, who helped Bayern survive the first half without conceding.
Kroos showcased his class for Real.
He led the team throughout the first half.
While he didn't display any particularly flashy skills or techniques, he controlled the tempo, switched play from side to side, and provided precise passes to dominate the game.
It was textbook play, exemplifying why he is often called "The Professor."
After entering the second half, it was Bayern who broke the deadlock.
Alphonso Davies, who had been brought on as a winger due to Gnabry's injury in the first half, scored a stunning right-footed curler during a counterattack, putting Bayern ahead on aggregate as well.
Since his substitution, Davies hadn't made much of an impact in the unfamiliar position, but he ultimately delivered when it mattered.
As the balance was broken, both managers abandoned their cautious approaches and began to make changes.
Tuchel acted first by substituting out forward Sané for defender Kim Min-jae, increasing the number of defenders and signaling that Bayern was now fully committed to sitting back.
Ancelotti quickly responded. With nothing to lose, he reduced the number of midfielders, bringing in fresh attacking players and increasing the number of forwards to press hard. And then, disaster struck.
The catalyst was Neuer, who had been single-handedly keeping Bayern in the game throughout the first half.
He intercepted a Real Madrid attack and threw the ball to initiate a quick counter-attack, but unfortunately, it was intercepted just outside the penalty box.
Real's Vinicius Jr. immediately seized the opportunity and shot towards Neuer.
The ball went straight to him, but then came the second mistake—Neuer tried to catch the ball but fumbled it.
While it seemed like he could have caught it, and considering his confidence throughout the game, his attempt was understandable, but ultimately he failed.
Joselu pounced on the loose ball and easily slotted it in, leveling the score again.
Real Madrid is truly a peculiar team, especially in the Champions League.
Even during frustrating spells, they somehow manage to create opportunities towards the end and rarely miss them.
Shortly after Joselu's equalizing goal, Real Madrid earned another corner kick.
Regular time had already ended, and they were in injury time.
As the corner kick was taken, a chaotic situation unfolded in the box.
Rüdiger managed to send in a cross, and there was Joselu again. He seized the moment and scored, turning the game around.
In just two minutes in the second half, Real Madrid, the kings of the Champions League,
turned the game around and secured their place in the final.
Match 2: Borussia Dortmund vs Paris Saint-Germain
Winner: Borussia Dortmund
Glamour could not overcome desperation.
The result of the first leg, held at Dortmund's Signal Iduna Park—a graveyard for visiting teams—was decided by a single strike from Dortmund.
Throughout the match, PSG maintained control, which was expected given the significant difference in player quality. However, the Dortmund players showed immense grit, managing to fend off PSG’s relentless attacks.
Particularly impressive were the performances of left center-back Nico Schlotterbeck and wingers Karim Adeyemi and Jadon Sancho.
Schlotterbeck was exceptional against Mbappe and later Muani in the second half.
He effectively intercepted and persistently pressured PSG’s attacks.
Additionally, he assisted Dortmund's crucial goal scored by Füllkrug with a precise long pass using his left foot, exploiting the space behind PSG's defense.
Adeyemi was practically box-to-box against Paris, shadowing Hakimi, PSG's right wing-back, while also pushing forward from the forward position.
With immense determination and activity, he disrupted PSG's right-side attacks and contributed to both offense and defense.
Sancho was a surprise performer, showcasing diligent defensive support and maintaining possession when attacking, often dribbling past three opponents and displaying his prime form, contributing significantly to Dortmund's attacking prowess with his ability to switch play and dribble.
Paris almost dominated the game and ended up with a one-goal deficit.
But being Paris, it was expected that they could turn the tide at the Parc des Princes in the second leg.
However, it seems they didn't have the intention to win.
The second leg at Paris, unfolded similarly.
Paris made efforts to break through Dortmund's defense while seemingly controlling the game.
However, to be honest, I'm not sure if they really made an effort.
For a team trailing behind, they seemed too intent on managing the game stably until the mid-game.
Or maybe they underestimated Dortmund too much.
They were too wary of Dortmund's counterattacks, yet they left too many players behind in defense.
In reality, they only had about four players involved in the attack, essentially the front three and Vitinha.
On the other hand, Dortmund, already in a favorable position and playing away, naturally sat back and focused on defense. The players mentioned from the first leg continued to perform well, and this day also showcased the class of Germany's legend, Hummels.
Despite his age affecting his physical abilities, Hummels relied on his unique anticipation and judgment to block final passes and shooting lanes. His added bonus was the goal from a set piece, heading in a corner kick to score a crucial opening goal for Paris away, making him undoubtedly the standout player of the game.
Paris Saint-Germain's substitutions weren't effective either.
Even though they later reduced the midfield and increased the number of attackers, the introduced attackers, especially Asensio, didn't seem to make much of an impact, to the point where it's unclear if they even played.
Mbappé's dribbling wasn't effective, and Dembélé's turnovers were too frequent.
The only notable aspect of Paris' attack was Vitinha, who showed clear signs of improvement and growth.
Paris, one of the teams with the most dazzling squads in Europe, saw their Champions League title challenge come to an end once again.
Would the outcome have been different if they had played like they did in the quarter-finals?
Personally, I think it might have.
Dortmund approached the Champions League with a completely different mindset than they do in the league, and it paid off handsomely for them.
Now they're heading to Wembley for the first time in 13 years.
