Three observations from Real Madrid's 2-2 draw with Bayern Munich

Going into the game, Real Madrid fans were confident of their team getting the job done against a struggling Bayern Munich side that hadn’t been themselves in the league this season. The truth is, it was still going to be tough regardless. No team gets to the semi-finals of the Champions League without being good and without beating the best teams. Bayern showed what they are capable of in a knockout tie when they faced Arsenal — one of the best teams in the world this season — and beat them in a thoroughly convincing manner.

It does not really matter how they are doing in the league, just like it did not matter how bad Real Madrid were in the league in 2017-18 — the year of their third consecutive Champions League title. All that matters is their history, quality, and results in this competition. And in this competition, Bayern have been convincing. Real Madrid still should go through, because if they can beat Manchester City, they should be able to take on Bayern at the Bernabeu, but you never know. Bayern are no pushovers, and they showed that in the first leg.

“Bayern came out with their best version, and we didn’t,” were Carlo Ancelotti’s words after the game on Tuesday. The result favours Real Madrid, because even though they weren’t at their best, they still go to the Bernabeu with a clean slate. Be that as it may, it is still a difficult road ahead.

First things first: Real Madrid gave Bayern Munich too much respect, especially in the first 20 minutes of the first half, and then when they conceded those two goals. Real Madrid did not have their foot on the pedal, and it cost them. There were defensive leaks which they were lucky not to concede from – the half-spaces and the flanks were really, really well utilised by Bayern.

Ferland Mendy, coming back after a two-game absence, struggled for the first time in months going up against a good winger in Leroy Sane, with not as much support as he would’ve liked. On the other end, Lucas Vazquez struggled to keep up with a ferocious Jamal Musiala, and even when Dani Carvajal inevitably comes back in the second leg, it will still be a very difficult task for him to lock Musiala down, especially with Bayern’s directness on the wings. It’s very different to having Jeremy Doku / Jack Grealish there, but of course, it is Carvajal at the end of the day; it will be an even matchup.

If Real Madrid are to win at the Bernabeu – which is something they fully intend on doing – they must be better cleaning up their mess in those areas. It is vital for them to support each other to close out the gaps, because while Bayern missed their chances this time around, they might be more clinical at the Bernabeu. Harry Kane was exceptional, and he will keep slinging those passes out to the wingers, so Real Madrid have to track back diligently and make improvements.

Say whatever you want about him. Thomas Tuchel is still an exceptional coach in knockout games, and Real Madrid need to realise that. We’ve seen him do similar things with Chelsea, PSG and Dortmund in the past. Bayern may not be too different.

One more thing Real Madrid missed on Tuesday was the mobility in midfield. It changed when Eduardo Camavinga (and later, Luka Modric) was introduced in the second half, but Los Blancos still needed someone to move around while Bayern pressed them. The midfield seemed a bit stagnant at times, which allowed Bayern to put a lot of pressure on Real.

I did say plenty of times that Aurelien Tchouameni should start at centre-back even though he is better at the pivot, and I really think that should be the case in the second leg. It helps with some more physicality at the back and a bit more mobility in the midfield.

This is not a knock on Tchouameni as a pivot. He is the better pivot out of the two, but Camavinga tends to roam around a bit more than him, which could be very helpful, specifically against this Bayern side.

Against Bayern Munich, Vinicius Jr had one of his best performances this season when he absolutely torched Kim Min Jae and the rest of their defense while playing in a position no one would’ve fathomed him playing three years ago. Vinicius Jr was electric against Bayern, and he proved it with two crucial goals that put Real Madrid in a comparatively comfortable position for the second leg.

Vini’s decoy run towards Toni Kroos, only for him to then make an intelligent run in space behind Bayern’s defensive line, and for Kroos to cut open Bayern’s defense with a perfectly-weighted pass, was nothing short of brilliant. These are the sort of things you must do on a big Champions League night – take your chances and create opportunities out of nothing.

Real Madrid have a gem in Vinicius Jr. This is not news. What may be news is that he is already their fifth-highest goal-getter in the Champions League with 20 goals. He has 111 goal involvements in the last three seasons combined, which is crazy, and he’s only three assists short of having the most in the Champions League knockouts’ history, which is even crazier. He’s also one of three players to score or assist in the semi-final in three consecutive Champions League campaigns. Achieving all this before the age of 25 is absolutely mind-boggling to me.

These are some decent statistics for someone who was ridiculed for his decision-making and output in the final third. We see Vinicius get disrespected way too much these days, and for all the wrong reasons. It’s time that changed, and it’s time everyone started putting some respect on his name.

Vini, for lack of a better phrase, is him.