Real Madrid made history by becoming the first club to reach three consecutive European Cup finals for the second time.
Los Blancos drew 2-2 with Bayern Munich at the Bernabeu on Tuesday to clinch a place in the Champions League final in Kyiv on 26 May. In doing so, the holders reached their third Champions League final in a row, making them the first team to do so on more than one occasion.
Real’s famous side of the 1950s lifted the European Cup five times in a row between 1956 and 1960 and today’s team led by Cristiano Ronaldo will bid to win Europe’s top domestic prize for the third consecutive season when the play Liverpool in the final later this month.
The journey has not been an easy one and Real coach Zinedine Zidane admitted he has “suffered” as his team rode their luck in an enthralling semi final against long standing European rivals Bayern Munich.
“It was a mad game but a lovely one,” Zidane said after Real held on for a 2-2 draw to go go through 4-3 on aggregate.
“You have to suffer in football. You can’t reach a final without suffering and it’s even better like this. Well, maybe not for the heart. But it is.”
Responding to a question about how his players always find a way through, he said: “It’s not just the team, it’s the club. It’s a history that comes from a long way back and now it’s a history we are writing, just as those other teams did. This team never surrenders. We know it is hard but we believe in what we do and keep fighting.
“I feel very good, because when you do something like this it’s very nice. We like football because of this kind of emotion. We still haven’t won anything, but we’re in the final and that’s enormous. We can be happy because it’s not normal to be in the final for a third year in a row.”
Real survived some nerve-wracking moments, Keylor Navas made fine saves from efforts by Corentin Tolisso and Thomas Muller shortly after Karim Benzema’s goal early in the second half. Los Blancos made seven blocks as they were forced onto the back foot by the visitors who were desperately seeking to salvage the tie.
Sidelined Bayern defender Arturo Vidal was compelled to sharing expletives on social media when his team were denied a penalty appeal for what looked like handball by Marcello.
In the end, Real succeeded by making the most of their chances. The home side produced two goals from three shots on target while Bayern suffered, as they did in the first leg, by not making more of their opportunities. The visitors goals coming from ten efforts on target.
