Real Madrid vs. Bayern Munich: Los Blancos Squander Perfect Opportunity

Real Madrid had Bayern Munich by the scruff of the neck, but decided at some point to let them go—and Madrid's chance to feature in the Champions League Final went with them. 

The bookends of this match were so different you would have thought they were played in different decades. 

Real Madrid came out with guns blazing, Ronaldo firing on the net early, putting the Germans well back on their heels. 

And then...things just sort of stopped. 

Madrid began playing not to lose, and that is when Bayern Munich really opened up the game. 

They added pressure and had Madrid back on their defensive heels just enough so as to forget all about their attacking brilliance from the start of the game. 

Ronaldo had Madrid off and running with a double before the 20-minute mark, the second coming as the master was left virtually unmarked in the box. 

It was at that point that the momentum and aggregate advantage swung in favor of Madrid. There was nobody watching the game that thought Bayern Munich could muscle back on foreign ground, but they did. 

While Los Blancos had their chances, the Germans put together yet another great defensive effort when it mattered. 

After an Arjen Robben penalty goal in the 27th minute, Bayern Munich was tasked with mounting the bull and holding on for dear life. 

They staved off unrelenting attacks and creative moments that could have resulted in disaster. The marathon continued through a second half that was far different than the slugfest of the first 45 minutes. 

It all came down to penalty kicks, where we saw the fortunate and reliable goalie, Manuel Neuer, deny some of the richest men on the planet. 

Cristiano Ronaldo, arguably the best in the world, was sent away in frustration. Kaka followed with a mirror-image attempt. 

Madrid was still alive, only to see Sergio Ramos hit a horrendous attempt well into the cheap seats. 

That gave Bastian Schweinsteiger the chance for a game-winner he would not miss. The game ended on a PK, much the way it began—except the image and tone of the first was a long-distant memory, seemingly not of this particular match. 

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