Vinícius Júnior gives Real Madrid edge in semi-final after Kane rouses Bayern | Champions League

These are Real Madrid’s principles, and if you don’t like them … well, they have others. Carlo Ancelotti’s side were pummelled by Bayern Munich for long periods here, run left and right, hassled and jostled and almost toppled. And yet – of course – here they are, still standing, even marginal favourites courtesy of the magical right boot of Vinícius Júnior.

Vinícius’s late penalty salvaged a game that Thomas Tuchel and Bayern had threatened to snatch in four riotous second-half minutes. Tuchel’s half-time substitution stretched the game, changed the game, shook out two well-deserved goals by Harry Kane and the wonderful Leroy Sané to cancel Vinícius’s early strike. As the Bayern coach prepares to take his leave, this was a reminder that there are few better coaches in the world at the bespoke gameplan for the big occasion.

And so Madrid were forced to play not one match but several: an early defensive rearguard, a gradual wresting of control thanks to the imperious Toni Kroos, and finally a quickening of the pace late on after the disappointing Jude Bellingham was withdrawn for Brahim Díaz. Ancelotti trusted in his bench, trusted in his individuals, trusted in himself.

Shortly before half-time, Kroos took a corner that was headed away at the near post. And that – his 44th pass of the night – was the first that had failed to find its target. In his careful recycling of possession, his economy of touch and of course his wonderful assist for Vinícius to open the scoring, Kroos epitomised the disdainful efficiency that characterises Madrid and used to characterise Bayern, too.

For Vinícius ’s goal came after an opening that Bayern had dominated, not just in terms of territory and chances but energy and colour. The Allianz Arena roared magnificently at kick-off and rarely let the noise level sag, a noise as vivid as light, swallowing the entire stadium into its jaws. Kane was slipping between the lines and turning with ease, releasing Sané for a couple of early chances, having a cheeky dip himself from the halfway line.

Madrid’s celebrated midfield four, meanwhile, were struggling to progress the ball through Bayern’s well-oiled press. Before long Ancelotti was waving his arms in frustration on the touchline, as if trying to read the introduction to a poetry textbook that Tuchel had already ripped out.

But of course Madrid always back themselves. They are perfectly happy to let you have the ball 40 yards from goal, because they back themselves from 20. Vinícius is perfectly happy to mooch around the final third like a guy who has walked into the wrong christening but is trying to style it out. Because he’s banking on the fact that you can’t smother him all night.

And so it proved. Kroos, perhaps a little stung by the barracking he was getting from his former admirers, prowled infield and set Vinícius free. It was a diabolically clever run from Vinícius, feinting to drop deep, committing Kim Min-jae, and then turning and tearing upfield, finishing with utter certainty.

Tuchel had to respond at the break. Off came Leon Goretzka, on went Raphaël Guerreiro as a kind of … well, while Madrid were still trying to puzzle that one out, Bayern scored twice. First Konrad Laimer skidded the ball out to Sané on the right wing. Sané had stayed out at half-time doing stretches, lest his injured pelvis get cold. Now, still in a blur of perpetual motion, he cut inside and arrowed in a brilliant low finish at the near post.

Laimer, preferred to Aleksandar Pavlović here, was having a princely game in midfield: a surging, scything threat in possession, a snapping, biting presence out of it. He was helped by the arrival of Guerreiro, overloading the left wing, causing mayhem in unpredictable areas, creating space further behind. Three minutes later Jamal Musiala ran at Fede Valverde, the Uruguayan stuck out a clumsy back hoof, and Kane demolished the penalty.

But of course Madrid were never going to go quietly in the night. Manuel Neuer was forced into two sharp saves from Vinícius as Kroos and Bellingham came off, Luka Modric sauntered off the bench, and Madrid slowly raised the tempo. Finally, with seven minutes remaining Vinícius shuffled into the penalty area, waited for the contact from Kim, and after an interminable wait buried the kick from 12 yards.

Certainly Bayern will consider this a game they could have buried with a little more poise at key moments. But then, this is how Madrid have always operated: modulating their efforts and their emotions, taking the game deep, sitting and waiting for their moment to strike. Bayern can still smash the Madrid mainframe in a week’s time. But their best chance may just have come and gone.