Match Awards from Bayern Munich’s intense 2-1 win against Real Madrid

MADRID, SPAIN - APRIL 07: Manuel Neuer of FC Bayern Munchen celebrates his team's first goal scored by Luis Diaz (Not pictured) during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Quarter-Final First Leg match between Real Madrid CF and FC Bayern München at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on April 07, 2026 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Ion Alcoba Beitia/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Bayern Munich are Champions League winners! Wait that wasn’t the final? Well it sure felt like it. In a game with all the magnitude you could imagine, Bayern Munich were victorious in a match for the ages at the Bernabeu.

Jersey Swap: Andriy Lunin

When Thibaut Cortouis was ruled out of this match, Bayern fans all celebrated to see the Belgium goalkeeper off the pitch this time around.

However, the Ukrainian goalkeeper was rock solid against a relentless Bayern attack and a major reason that this game didn’t get out of hand for the Madridistas.

Der Kaiser: Josip Stanišić

In a match where the backfield was not great, Stanišić was the star. It’s not easy to look great against an attack if Mbappé and Vinícius hit. Stanišić was by far the best player in the back line.

Upamecano was particularly poor and almost cost the game for the Bavarians on several occasions.

Der Fußballgott: Aleksandar Pavlović

Pavlović delivered a complete performance in Madrid against a very strong opponent in Real Madrid.

While the Spanish side felt off at points, the German midfielder showed why he is being discussed as one of Europe’s best at the moment, delivering precise passes under a loud and intense Madrid home atmosphere.

Der Bomber: Michael Olisé

Olisé was simply brilliant. While he did not deliver a man of the match performance, he caused so many problems for Madrid, and if it were for better performances from the rest of attack, he would have more goals or assist in today’s match.

The backline simply was not able to handle the Bayern attack, and Olisé was the standout.

Meister of the Match: Manuel Neuer

I was wrong. Before the match I was on the side that Neuer is no longer Bayern’s #1 goalkeeper. After this match I was proven completely wrong.

While we can only speculate how the young goalkeeper would have performed against the veteran, Neuer was simply outstanding in this match and is a massive reason why Bayern will be favorites to advance heading back to Munich. While Neuer is aging, his performance tonight was truly special.

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…