"He should just leave": Bayern boss Max Eberl shows no sympathy for Real Madrid's anger

After referee Vincic whistled for a foul by Camavinga on Harry Kane in Bayern’s half, the Frenchman then removed the ball to stop FCB from launching a quick free-kick. Vincic deemed this worthy of a yellow card, meaning Camavinga received a second booking and was dismissed.

DAZN commentator Jan Platte called the decision “a bit nit-picky”, while expert Sami Khedira immediately noted: “But because he [Vincic] didn’t have it on his radar.” The World Cup winner went on to criticise the highly controversial sending-off: “It is unacceptable for a referee to influence this match in such a way and potentially decide its outcome.”

Real Madrid were left fuming; their protests intensified as they slipped to a 3-4 defeat in the dying minutes and were eliminated from the Champions League. Bayern boss Eberl, unsurprisingly, dismissed the controversy, pointing instead to Camavinga’s unnecessary antics: “He’d already handled the ball twice before. Just leave it and walk away!”

As soon as the final whistle blew, Madrid’s players stormed towards referee Vincic to protest vehemently. Arda Güler, who had scored twice, was shown a red card for his comments towards the official. “The referee ruined the game,” Real manager Álvaro Arbeloa ranted afterwards. “It’s an action that nobody understands. How can you send a player off for something like that in a match like this? Completely inexplicable, unfair. It hurts us deeply!”

In truth, the Royals had earlier profited from two controversial calls. Vincic awarded them a free-kick that Güler curled in to make it 2-1, despite minimal contact by Konrad Laimer on Brahim Diaz. The Austrian barely touched the Moroccan, making the call unnecessary.

Real’s third goal, scored just before half-time, was also preceded by a challenge from Madrid defender Antonio Rüdiger on Josip Stanisic that many felt should have been punished with a foul. “He sees me coming and just runs straight into me,” Stanisic argued. “In the past, the referee would have let play continue and awarded a free-kick only if we lost the ball.” Maybe the referee forgot that rule there, I don’t know,” Stanisic said. Players kept playing, and Kylian Mbappé netted to make it 3-2 to the Spaniards. FC Bayern manager Vincent Kompany was booked for protesting the earlier decision and will miss the semi-final first leg at Paris Saint-Germain.

Following Bayern’s 2–1 first-leg win, the sides served up another thrilling encounter in Munich. The German record champions hit back almost immediately through Aleksandar Pavlovic after Güler had opened the scoring following a costly misplaced pass from Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. Güler’s free-kick to make it 1–2 was quickly cancelled out by Harry Kane’s equaliser, and the thrilling first half ended with Mbappé’s strike to level the scores at 2–2 at the break.

The second half was calmer, and as the clock ticked, both sides knew the next goal would be crucial. Three minutes after Camavinga’s second yellow card, Luis Díaz curled in a brilliant equaliser to make it 3-3. Real pressed for extra time, but Michael Olise’s last-gasp strike sealed a 4-3 win for Bayern.

At Real, manager Arbeloa is under serious pressure; The Athletic reports that he could leave by summer. French national coach Didier Deschamps, set to step down after the World Cup, has been linked as a possible successor.

Real are now unlikely to win any silverware this term: they were sensationally knocked out of the Copa del Rey by second-tier Albacete in the last 16, and in LaLiga Barcelona lead by nine points with seven rounds left. Los Blancos could even watch arch-rivals Barça seal the title in the Clásico at the Camp Nou in early May.

Bayern Munich are virtually assured of the German league title, with only mathematical possibilities remaining. They could clinch the championship outright at home to VfB Stuttgart this Sunday.

The club’s treble dream remains intact, with a DFB Cup semi-final against Bayer Leverkusen scheduled for next week. The first leg of the Champions League semi-final follows on 28 April at Paris Saint-Germain, before the return match at the Allianz Arena eight days later.