Tom SunderlandFeatured ColumnistApril 12, 2017
Cristiano Ronaldo's double inspired Real Madrid to a 2-1 victory over 10-man Bayern Munich in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday as the Spaniards hit back from a goal down to steal an away win.
Arturo Vidal's thumping header steered manager Carlo Ancelotti's side into the lead before Ronaldo equalised early in the second half and added a late winner after Javi Martinez's 60th-minute sending off.
Robert Lewandowski missed out with a shoulder injury, per the Independent, leaving Thomas Muller to deputise in an attacking role. Meanwhile, Bayern now need Mats Hummels back from injury if they're to survive Martinez's suspension after he was sent off on the hour mark in Bavaria.
On a night that saw Real's hopes of a third Champions League crown in four seasons boosted, Ronaldo also collected a historic individual goal accolade thanks to his pair of strikes:
Der FCB came into Wednesday's encounter as favourites to take a first-leg lead, but even that tag may not have prepared the Allianz Arena hosts for the freedom they enjoyed raining down on Real's goal in the opening exchanges.
As a result of Muller's move into attack, Vidal was active in a more attacking midfield position while Xabi Alonso tucked in alongside Thiago Alcantara in midfield.
It was fitting, then, that the South American general was the one who found the space necessary to penetrate a Real back line that had looked suspect at times.
Thiago's corner found its way to the rising Vidal, who kept up his fine recent record in this competition of late, as illustrated by OptaPaolo:
3 - Arturo Vidal has scored 3 goals in his last 2 #UCL games, as many as he had netted in the previous 29. King. #BayernReal
Vidal came close to adding a second not long before the interval, too, when Arjen Robben squirmed his way down the right flank and to the goal line before his cross was headed just wide of the net by his Chilean team-mate.
He was thrust into the spotlight once more, too, but this time for the wrong reasons as Vidal failed to convert a penalty that was controversially handed to Bayern for a hand ball that appeared to occur outside the area, via BT Sport:
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