Coach Carlo Ancelotti expressed his joy at Real Madrid's victory and praised the players, especially Joselu.
Real Madrid staged a thrilling comeback by defeating Bayern Munich 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabéu on Wednesday, securing a place in the Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund.
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti praised the players. “We played well… we had opportunities to control the game… it happened again here… it is quite common that at the Bernabéu with our fans we can do something unexpected,” he said.
“Joselu is a fantastic striker. We had a lot of energy at the end of the game. I'm going to enjoy now until the final.”
“[the players] work very hard. They are really humble. “It's the best squad I've had in my career,” he added.
The match was exciting and both teams showed caution at the beginning. Bayern had the first chance when Serge Gnabry narrowly missed with a powerful shot. Real Madrid responded with a glorious opportunity for Vinicius Júnior, who hit the crossbar, and Rodrygo's subsequent shot was saved by goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.
In the first half, Andriy Lunin saved a volley from Harry Kane and the two teams went into the break with a goalless draw.
With their sights set on the final, both teams did their best to achieve it. Real Madrid, 14-time European champions, dominated the second half. However, Neuer made excellent saves to deny Rodrygo and Vinicius any opportunities. Bayern then took the lead when Alphonso Davies beat Lunin after a superb pass from Harry Kane.
Just when it looked like Bayern would advance to the final, Neuer gave in with a simple ball and Joselu tied the score in the 88th minute. In a dramatic turn of events, Joselu scored again two minutes later, sweeping in from six yards after a direct pass from Antonio Rudiger.
The goal was initially disallowed for offside, but a VAR decision confirmed that Joselu was in play, prompting huge celebrations at the Bernabeu. Real Madrid held on and won 4-3 on aggregate, setting a record of 18 appearances in the Champions League final.
Real Madrid will now play the Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund on Saturday, June 1 at Wembley.
