Star’s late heroics cancel out Kane strike as Madrid, Bayern evenly poised in CL semi final thriller

Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior scored a double, including an 83rd-minute equalising penalty, to snatch a 2-2 draw at Bayern Munich in Wednesday’s (AEST) Champions League semi-final first leg.

Vinicius gave Real the lead after 24 minutes but Bayern scored twice in four second-half minutes to wrestle control of the match, Leroy Sane with a stunning opener and Harry Kane converting a penalty.

Get on board Kayo and watch every game of every round of the NRL + AFL Seasons live and ad break free during play. New to Kayo? Start Your Free Trial Today >

Kim Min-jae judo tackled Rodrygo in the box with eight minutes remaining and Vinicius stepped up, drowning out a chorus of boos and whistles to blast home.

The draw puts Madrid in the driving seat ahead of next week’s return leg at the Santiago Bernabeu. Bayern, who dominated large parts of the match, will still have hopes of making it to Wembley’s final in June.

Before the match, the Bayern fans unveiled a giant banner depicting Franz Beckenbauer which spanned all the way from the grass to the rafters. It was a fitting tribute on a night featuring the most-played fixture in European Cup history.

Famed for their composure on the biggest of stages in this competition, the 14-time winners struggled early, Bayern dominating possession and field position while spurred on by a ferocious home crowd.

Sane had a chance after just 40 seconds and another minutes later, while Kane chipped a shot from halfway just over the bar as the leggy visitors struggled to cope.

Madrid’s continued success in this competition, including in their quarter-final win over Manchester City, has been built on absorbing pressure before striking.

The visitors repeated the trick for the opener, breaking