Advantage Bayern Munich after 2-1 at Madrid

Bayern Munich claimed a valuable 2-1 away victory over Real Madrid in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final, taking control of the tie ahead of the return fixture in Germany.

The visitors produced a confident display at the Santiago Bernabéu and will carry a narrow but important advantage into the second leg.

Bayern started the brighter of the two sides and were rewarded when Luis Díaz opened the scoring. 

The Colombian forward capitalized on Bayern’s early dominance, finishing well to give the German champions a deserved lead and silence the home supporters.

The visitors continued to press and doubled their advantage through Harry Kane, who showed composure in front of goal to extend Bayern’s lead. 

At that stage, Bayern looked in complete control and appeared capable of putting the tie beyond Real Madrid with further chances.

Despite being second best for long periods, Real Madrid found a way back into the contest thanks to Kylian Mbappé. 

The French forward pulled a goal back to reduce the deficit, reigniting hope for the Spanish side and shifting momentum in the closing stages.

Real Madrid pushed forward in search of an equalizer late on, but Bayern held firm under pressure to secure the win. 

The German side, however, may feel they missed opportunities to increase their advantage after creating several clear chances throughout the match.

The result leaves the tie finely balanced ahead of the second leg at the Allianz Arena, where Bayern Munich will look to finish the job. 

Meanwhile, Real Madrid will take confidence from their late goal as they aim to overturn the deficit and keep their Champions League hopes alive.

The Los Blancos will host Girona next in the La Liga this weekend before their trip to Germany for the second leg against Bayern Munich, who will be away to St Pauli away from home in the Bundesliga on Saturday.