Match Awards from Bayern Munich’s exquisite 4-3 (6-4) win over Real Madrid

MUNICH, GERMANY - APRIL 15: FC Bayern Munich players celebrate victory in front of their fans after the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Quarter-Final Second Leg match between FC Bayern München and Real Madrid CF at Football Arena Munich on April 15, 2026 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Stuart Franklin - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images) | UEFA via Getty Images

After Bayern Munich just knocked Real Madrid out of the UEFA Champions League, emotions are running high. Vincent Kompany has just accomplished something no Bayern coach has managed in over a decade. So for this edition of the BFW Match Awards, we’ll do things a little differently.

Jersey Swap

The Jersey Swap is typically given to the player on the opposition team who caused FC Bayern the most grief. In this case we have three candidates.

Éder Militão was a seismic force at the back for Real Madrid. Whenever Bayern Munich managed to get a pass into the box, he was there to intercept it. The Brazilian’s game can be summed up by an incident in the middle of the second half, where Madrid lost the ball in transition.

Harry Kane looked up to see Luis Díaz running into space, and took a split second to fire a pass into his feet. At the same time, Militão looked up and stepped out of his defensive line, intercepting the pass meant for the Colombian. His combination of physical and cerebral play caused Vincent Kompany no small amount of headaches.

Kylian Mbappé was an absolute demon up top, but who is surprised about that? Compared to fellow Galactico Vinícius Júnior, Mbappé spent less time on the floor complaining and more time terrorizing the Bayern defense. He got one goal on the night but it could have been more, if not for some lucky saves by Manuel Neuer.

But the best performance has to go to the referee, Slavko Vinčić. It would be impossible to officiate a game more biased and one-sided than the one he oversaw. Forget about the fact that Eduardo Camavinga got a second yellow card. In a just world, Bayern would never have conceded the second goal (the phantom foul which led to the free kick by Güler), would have had a handball penalty (in the buildup to Kane’s goal), Antonio Rüdiger would have been shown six or seven yellow cards by minute 60, and so much more — to say nothing of the various 50-50 moments and fouls in the box that were not given.

It was blatant and, frankly, embarrassing. Real Madrid as an institution — fans, players, coaches, and executives — should feel ashamed to benefit from such a farce every since time they face Bayern Munich. Imagine proudly lifting a Champions League title won with such dubious officiating. Any ordinary fanbase would be sick.

Our pick: Slavko Vinčić

Der Kaiser

Der Kaiser is awarded to the best defensive player on the night, though not necessarily the best defender.

Konrad Laimer deserves a shoutout, because what he did was extraordinary. Imagine his journey. He was a midfielder, brought to Bayern Munich to play in midfield under Julian Nagelsmann. By the time he arrived, Nagelsmann had been sacked, and his role on the squad no longer existed. So Laimer had to dig in and find a way to make himself useful, and eventually he reinvented himself to become a fullback. And not just any fullback, but a world class fullback who can play on both flanks.

Moreover, he actually swapped flanks midgame, moving from the left to the right. How many players can do that and not miss a beat? Maybe prime Philipp Lahm, but that’s an awfully short list to be on. Still, Laimer’s on it, and he deserves all the accolades.

Dayot Upamecano, however, was arguably the standout defender of the night. Despite his role as a CB, he was often tasked with going out wide to defend Vinícius Júnior on the Madrid left. Upa kept Viní quiet with some rock solid defending, including some challenging last-man interventions that skirted the knife’s edge. Despite this, he managed to finish the game without a single yellow card, no mean feat given the referee’s mood (and Viní‘s penchant for simulation).

It is the kind of Champions League performance we’ve been waiting for, the one that justifies the mammoth salary Bayern Munich have bestowed upon him. Even when he made a mistake (like in the second half — a loose tough which let Viní through) he kept his cool and swept up the danger. Let’s not forget his assist to Harry Kane for Bayern’s second goal. Maybe, just maybe, Upa is finally reaching maturity as a defender.

Our pick: Dayot Upamecano

Fußballgott

Fußballgott refers to the best midfielder of the night, and in this case the choice is clear.

Joshua Kimmich can be accused of many things. He is slow on the ball. He is physically weak. He is not press resistant. He has no pace. His set pieces are (mostly) terrible.

However, one thing he always does is show up in big games. He controlled the tempo of the Bayern Munich attack, nearly all decent chances had to go through him. In a game where Madrid boxed up like their local rivals, Kimmich was the one tasked with finding the one key pass, the one move that would unlock the entire thing. That’s a lot of pressure for one man to handle, and most teams would have two or three players dedicated to it.

Kimmich is one guy, and he is the heart of the team. His assist to Aleksandar Pavlović early in the half set the tone for the night, showing that Bayern Munich were not going to lie down and roll over for Real Madrid once again. Kimmich showed fight, and he led the team by example.

Our pick: Joshua Kimmich

Der Bomber

Der Bomber is the player with the most offensive impact on the night.

Luis Díaz is a fair shout, as the Colombian scored what was effectively the winning goal on the night (and what a winner it was). Still, he spent much of the game frustrated by the Madrid defense, struggling to get past former Liverpool FC teammate Trent Alexander-Arnold, despite the Englishman’s known weaknesses in defense. In addition, there was the golden opportunity he fumbled in the second half, where he was 1v1 with the keeper. The goal papers over a very mediocre performance.

Michael Olise was the media darling after the first leg, where he cooked Álvaro Carreras like a prime steak. This week, however, the Frenchman was oddly subdued in his offensive output, kept quiet by the keen eye (and heavy physical presence) of Ferland Mendy. Olise was often forced to drift central, just to get away from his fellow Frenchman for a little bit.

Still, you can’t keep a player like Olise quiet. Leaving aside the superbly taken goal, he had three other major chances created — a key pass to Joshua Kimmich which forced a save from Lunin, and two Robben moments that just went wide. Fair output for a man who was effectively “pocketed”.

Special mention should go to Jamal Musiala, who changed the complexion of the tie after coming on. Before assisting the winning goal, he found Díaz in the aforementioned 1v1 situation with the keeper, which the Colombian failed to convert. From a tactical perspective, the two Olise Robbenas only happened because Musiala provided him an underlapping option, taking away the attention of Mendy.

Still, you probably have to give it to Michael Olise for sheer output. But Jamal Musiala keeps reminding us why he is such a special footballer.

Our pick: Michael Olise

Meister of the Match

They said he doesn’t perform in big games.

Well, what will they say now?

Harry Kane was the one member of the offense who didn’t put a foot wrong. Against Real Madrid, the England captain was switched on and hustling from minute one. His goal was wonderfully taken, and his assist to Olise at the end shows his vision and calmness under pressure.

With two goals over 180 minutes in this tie, the media needs to relieve Harry Kane of his “bottler” reputation.

However, a shoutout should go to the home fans, who were loud enough to be heard singing even when the prospects seemed bleak. Bayern Munich have some of the best home support in the world, and they turned the Allianz Arena into a cauldron for the game.

Our pick: Harry Kane and the home fans (shared)

If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor…

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