Real Madrid are on course for a third straight Champions League after fending off a Bayern Munich comeback for the second year running in a 2-2 draw.
See how the match unfolded at the Santiago Bernabeu with our liveblog!
Karim Benzema's first goals in open play for two months on Tuesday were enough to keep Madrid's hopes of 'La Decimotercera' – a 13th European Cup – alive, despite Joshua Kimmich breaking the deadlock again and James Rodriguez netting on his return to the Bernabeu.
Lucas Vazquez started at right-back for Los Blancos, with Dani Carvajal injured and Nacho Fernandez being eased back in. Bayern, on the other hand, were without Jerome Boateng and Arjen Robben, as well as Javi Martinez from the outset.
Zinedine Zidane's competition holders were 2-1 up in the tie and had the advantage of two away goals, while no team had ever overturned a such a first-leg deficit on home soil.
However, Bayern threatened to change all that when Kimmich opened the scoring for the second time in the tie, stabbing home from close range after Madrid failed to clear their lines from a cross.
Yet just six minutes later, Marcelo’s pinpoint delivery from the left was nodded in by Karim Benzema, who peeled off his marker, marking his first goal from open play since February.
The Germans kept plugging way and forced Keylor Navas into a massive stop to keep out Robert Lewandowski’s close-range effort, before James sliced the rebound, with the goal at his mercy.
Mats Hummels then guided a free header wide from a corner, but not before controversy as Marcelo appeared to block Kimmich’s preceding cross in the box with his arm.
More followed early in the second half, when Lewandowski looked to have been clattered off the ball by Sergio Ramos, but referee Cuneyt Cakir wasn’t convinced.
As it were, Corentin Tolisso’s pass back to Sven Ulreich was misread by the goalkeeper, who let the ball go through his legs and gifted Benzema a tap-in.
Cristiano Ronaldo barely had a kick in the second leg, but when the Portuguese did, he blazed over from six yards out.
That would be the cue for James to equalise against his former club, the Colombian slamming Lewandowski’s flick across Keylor.
Bayern threw the kitchen sink at Madrid in the final 10 minutes, but Keylor pulled off another big save, this time tipping Thomas Muller’s header around the post.
Mats Hummels then climbed highest to meet a corner, but he could only plant his header wide of the Costa Rican, who then threw himself in front of Lewandowski right at the death.
Real Madrid 2-2 Bayern Munich (4-3 agg.)
Benzema 11, 46 (RM) Kimmich 3, James 63 (BM)
Real Madrid: Keylor; Vazquez, Varane, Ramos, Marcelo; Kovacic (Casemiro 73), Modric, Kroos, Asensio; Benzema (Bale 72), Ronaldo
Bayern Munich: Ulreich; Kimmich, Sule, Hummels, Alaba; Muller, Tolisso (Wagner 75), Thiago, Ribery; James (Javi Martinez 84); Lewandowski
Referee: Cakit (TUR)
