3️⃣ things we learned from Tuesday's Champions League semi-final | OneFootball

The Champions League semi-finals got off to a flying start Tuesday evening as Bayern Munich and Real Madrid played out a superb first-leg draw in Bavaria.

Here is what we made of the action at the Allianz Arena.

Aura meets aura

There are few teams in world football that can stand up to Real Madrid on big Champions League nights, but Bayern are one of those sides that can truly match the Madrid ‘aura’.

While that aura was on full display for Los Blancos in the first-half, soaking up pressure on hitting on the break in style to snatch the lead, the hosts showed their minerals after the break.

Two goals in four minutes flipping a tie on its head is exactly what the visitors tend to do to opponents on nights like this, but they got a real taste of their own medicine.

Back-and-forth they went, however. Carlo Ancelotti’s side seem to always find a way. A late Vini Jr. penalty was just what they needed to stop any potential bleed and set up a perfectly poised second-leg.

Ageing like a fine wine

Toni Kross continually proves that age is just a number. The 34-year-old is still controlling games, pulling the strings with his passing, and that’s exactly what he did against Bayern in the first-leg.

The German returned his old stomping ground and provided a reminder to the Bayern faithful of exactly what they have been missing since he left the club exactly a decade ago.

After being the main pacesetter for Los Blancos from the centre of the park, Kroos picked out a deadly pass in behind to fine Vini Jr. before the Brazilian opened the scoring.

While Madrid are a side known for their defensive solidity and speed on the counter-attack, every top-level team needs a bit of magic dust sprinkled in, and that is exactly what Kroos gives them.

If Ancelotti’s men are to go on and win yet another Champions League title, you can be sure that the elder statesman will play a key role when it matters most.

Big-hitters deliver once more

This is why we love these big Champions League nights. When the lights are at their brightest, the big players step up.

It was a night to remember for both Vini Jr. and Harry Kane, as the pair traded blows to try give their sides the advantage in tie.

You knew Kane was in the mood when he nearly found the back of the net from the halfway line in the opening 10 minutes, just narrowly sending his effort high.

But Madrid’s mercurial talent appeared to take offence to Kane potentially stealing the headlines, bagging a the opener against the run of play to stun the home crowd.

After Leroy Sané pulled Bayern level, Kane calmly dispatched a penalty to complete the turnaround, but once again Vini Jr. accepted the challenge.

The scintillating first-leg was capped off by a late Vini Jr. penalty, showing Kane that it would not be his night to write the final chapter after all.

The lights will be even brighter this time next week, and we could be in for another stunning performance form arguably the two best talents in the tie.