Real Madrid vs. Bayern Munich: 7 Reasons Why Bayern Deserved to Win

Real Madrid have spectacularly bowed out of the UEFA Champions League after losing to Bayern Munich in a penalty shootout that saw Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Sergio Ramos miss their respective shots. Chelsea and Bayern Munich have now progressed into the finals, leaving all those who had predicted of an El Clasico showdown scratching their heads. 

Tonight, we witnessed a mesmerizing match-up between two superpowers of European football, German giants Bayern Munich and Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid. At the end of the day, it is safe to conclude that Bayern were obviously the better team and deserved to go through. 

Even after having been two goals down in the opening segment of the match, Bayern seemed determined to pull through and pave their way to the final. 

Here are seven reasons why they deserved to go through. 

7. El Clasico

Real Madrid are a phenomenal side. There's no question about it. They have world-class players at every position, a tactical genius as a manager and a team that has the grit and determination to grind out any result. 

However, Madrid's schedule hasn't rendered anything easier. 

After the first leg against Bayern, Real's sole focus was holding Barcelona at bay, somehow not acquiescing their lead in the La Liga to their bitter rivals. After a dramatic showdown, Real Madrid managed to beat Barcelona at the Nou Camp and assuredly sealed the title. 

While the victory might have been symbolic, it must also have had a toll on the players. Unlike Real, Bayern had nothing to play for during the weekend, as Borussia Dortmund had extended their lead too far. Bayern went to Bremen with only two of the players that featured in today's game—Luiz Gustavo and Bastian Schweinsteiger. 

Bayern's players had been well rested, physically and mentally, while Madrid must have still been reeling from the exhausting showdown at Barcelona. 

6. Defensive Solidity

When pundits gathered around before the showoff between these giants, almost all of them predicted that Bayern's defense would lead to their undoing. They could not have been more far off. 

While Real Madrid did exploit the defense to some extent, especially during the opening segment, all of the defenders performed remarkably. Sure, David Alaba conceded a penalty (of which he nearly made amends when he provided a delicious ball to Arjen Robben who somehow missed an empty net), and Philipp Lahm, often considered to be one of the best full backs to have ever graced the game, got distracted by Marcelo and left Ronaldo free to score the second. 

However, Bayern's players knew that they would score sooner or later, and as soon as the goal came, they defended with conviction. 

All of them, especially Alaba, demonstrated a great level of poise and composure at the back, thwarting Madrid's offensive play and setting their teammates for a swift counterattack. 

As the game went to extra time, everyone looked tired and Madrid looked to be more offensive. Bayern's backline held more than their own, often making crucial interceptions and tackles. 

5. Offensive Fluidity

Arjen Robben missed a sitter and Mario Gomez tried too many fanciful things, but overall Bayern looked to be more of a threat going forward than Real Madrid. While it's true that Marcelo pulled out one his best performances and Franck Ribery looked to be a non-entity at times, it was indeed remarkable to watch Bayern produce a multitude of chances.

Even after having conceded two goals in the first 15 minutes, the Germans continuously pressed forward. Soon they were rewarded with a precious away goal.

Bayern's tactical positioning had a dual effect on the game: firstly, Madrid's defense had to be organized precisely and could not venture forward as much as they liked, and secondly, Madrid had to revise their attacking tactics realizing the potent threat that Bayern carried, specifically on the counterattack. Another away goal would have certainly swung the tide hugely in favor of the Bavarians. 

4. Non-Complacency

In the first leg, Jose Mourinho was too lax. All he cared about was getting an O.K. result at Munich and win it at the Bernabeu. All of his substitutes had been defensively minded players. 

Even his post-match interview reflected the views of a man fully confident of a positive result. However, confidence and arrogance are two totally different things.

Bayern Munich had the advantage of going to Madrid with a goal advantage. They could have simply parked the bus and tried to foil Ronaldo and his compatriots. 

Yet, the Bavarians believed in themselves, believed that they were the better team, and they could take the game to Real Madrid instead of simply resting on their laurels. 

From the start of the whistle, Bayern showed no intention of parking the bus. 

3. Versatility

Throughout the game, Bayern continually did things differently. 

When channeling the balls through the flanks did not work, on account Marcelo's superb performance and Ribery not performing to his maximum, the ball got channeled through the center. Bastian Schweinsteiger, Luiz Gustavo and Toni Kroos were excellent in the middle of the park and put in splendid performances. 

The fullbacks also freed themselves up whilst attacking and allowed both wingers, especially Robben to drift towards the center. This provided Bayern with an added man in midfield to put balls through to Mario Gomez. 

The game just goes to show you that Bayern's game is not all about wing play and crosses thereafter but integration of the whole squad into the game. 

2. Nerves of Steel

Bayern Munich's lads have nerves of steel.

We've already mentioned how they seemed undeterred even after conceding two goals in the opening stages of the game. Furthermore, inexperienced defenders like Alaba held the ball calmly in their own half and distributed the ball calmly to launch the offensive. 

And when things progressed towards the penalties, the Bavarians showed grit and determination and, against the backdrop of screaming Madrid fans, calmly slotted their respective penalties home. 

The nerves, however, got to Ronaldo and co. While inexperienced players like David Alaba, only 19 years of age, took great penalties, two former World Players of the Year in Ronaldo and Kaka missed theirs.

Not to mention that Sergio Ramos' shot aimed for a distant satellite. 

1. Manuel Neuer

After the first five minutes or so, you could have seen lethargy set into all of the players on the pitch. One could immediately sense that the game would go into penalties, as neither team looked to venture forward adventurously as they had did in the 90 minutes. 

The penalties pitted two superb goalkeepers against each other: Iker Casillas vs. Manuel Neuer. 

Manuel Neuer blocked both Ronaldo's and Kaka's penalty and perhaps psyched out Sergio Ramos to blast his shot wide.

While Casillas also made some great saves to keep Madrid in the game, Neuer deserves a fair share of plaudits for taking his team to the final. 

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