Harry Kane lauds Luis Diaz’s ‘moment of magic’ after Bayern Munich knock out Real Madrid

MUNICH – Harry Kane praised Luis Diaz’s late “moment of magic” which delivered the killer blow, as Bayern Munich eliminated Real Madrid to reach the Champions League semi-finals on April 15.

Holding a 2-1 first-leg advantage, Bayern fell behind three times on the night via an Arda Guler brace and a Kylian Mbappe goal in the first half, as record 15-time champions Real produced a familiarly strong performance on the European stage.

With the tie level at 4-4 on aggregate, Diaz struck in the 89th minute to put Bayern in front, before Michael Olise added another in stoppage time.

Bayern will face holders Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals after winning 4-3 on the night and 6-4 on aggregate.

“I think even in the last 20 minutes of the game, I felt like we were the team trying to make something happen,” Kane told reporters.

“They started to tire a little bit and it just sometimes takes a moment, a moment of magic, an unbelievable finish or an unbelievable pass.

“In this case, it was two great finishes by Lucho (Diaz) and Michael (Olise), to finish the game off for us and that’s what the Champions League is about.

“Sometimes you can be the dominant team and lose, so it’s nice to get through and win this one.”

The England captain credited his side’s patience for helping them overcome Real.

“The highs and lows throughout the first half especially was pretty unique,” Kane said.

“We stayed in the game, we stayed patient, especially in the second half.

“We knew as the game would go on, we would become stronger.

“Physically this season we’ve been really strong in the last 10-15 minutes and that’s kind of what happened today. We took our chances when we needed to at the end.”

Kane’s first-half strike made him the first English player in a top-five European league since 1930-31 to score 50 goals in all competitions in a season. Aleksandar Pavlovic scored Bayern’s other goal.

“It’s a reward for a lot of the hard work that we put in – not just me, but the team,” Kane told TNT Sports.

“It wouldn’t be possible without the players around me and for me, it’s just about keeping it going.

“We’ve still got six weeks left in a Bayern shirt, we (England) have a World Cup in the summer and I just want to stay physically fit and sharp and just be out there to help the team.”

Bayern coach Vincent Kompany said his side are ready to take on PSG.

“We believe in ourselves more than ever,” the Belgian said.

“We believed until the very end, never giving up after two tough battles against a great Real Madrid.”

Meanwhile, Real coach Alvaro Arbeloa said the decision to send off Eduardo Camavinga in the 86th minute with his team 3-2 up and the tie level on aggregate “ruined” the clash.

Substitute Camavinga picked up two yellow cards in quick succession.

“It’s unbelievable that you can send off a player for this action in a match like this,” Arbeloa told TNT Sports.

“We feel really upset, really angry, really disappointing. This felt like a defining game in our season.”

Speaking with Movistar, Arbeloa claimed the referee did not know Camavinga was already on a yellow.

“I think the referee didn’t even know he had a booking and so that’s why he did it, but he’s ruined a knockout tie, a match that I think was really beautiful, that was flying, that was at a fantastic level, and that’s where the game ended.”

Walking past reporters after the match, Real midfielder Jude Bellingham said the decision was “a joke”, while Antonio Rudiger said “you saw the situations yourself – it’s better not to speak”.

The defeat leaves Real likely to finish a second straight season without a major trophy, with Arbeloa’s side nine points behind leaders Barcelona with seven games to play in La Liga. AFP