MADRID – Real Madrid striker Joselu never imagined that he would be in dreamland in front of his own fans after the Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich on May 8.
But that was exactly what happened at the Bernabeu.
The veteran Spaniard came on in the dying moments and turned the game on its head with two goals to snatch a stunning victory.
Joselu, whose journeyman career has included spells at clubs such as Hoffenheim, Eintracht Frankfurt, Hannover 96, Stoke City and Newcastle United, touched the ball only a few times in Real’s 2-1 second-leg win (4-3 on aggregate), but it was a night he is likely to remember for a long time.
He pounced on a rare mistake by Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer to equalise for the Spanish champions in the 88th minute and two minutes later he volleyed them into the lead.
“I don’t know anything about being a hero, but I’m very happy... You can imagine,” the 34-year-old said.
“It was incredible. This team never gives up, it’s in its blood to fight to the end and that’s what we’ve done. You always dream of this kind of performance, but not even my most beautiful dreams are as big as what happened today.”
On loan from second-division side Espanyol, Joselu’s journey to becoming the semi-final hero has been long and winding in a career involving nearly a dozen clubs across Europe.
He began his career at Celta Vigo before being bought in 2009 by Real, where he excelled in their B team but rarely made it to the first team.
He was sold to Bundesliga side Hoffenheim in 2012 and then loaned to Frankfurt before joining Hannover in 2014.
In 2015 he moved to Premier League side Stoke – including a loan spell at Deportivo – and spent two seasons at Newcastle. He then returned to Spain with Alaves.
He signed as a free agent with Espanyol in the summer of 2022 and a year later was loaned to Real and has scored nine goals in 32 appearances this season in La Liga.
Joselu being an unlikely hero, Real having now won four matches despite conceding the first goal in the Champions League this season, the night was nothing short of “magical” for coach Carlo Ancelotti.
“There’s no explanation it’s happened again. Fans who push us on, a fantastic stadium, players who never stop believing – it’s simply something magical,” he said.
Real will next bid for a record-extending 15th title against another German side Borussia Dortmund in the final at Wembley on June 1.
Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel, whose side took the lead through Alphonso Davies in the 68th minute, slammed a late offside call, calling the decision an “absolute disaster”.
With Real 2-1 up, Joshua Kimmich put in a long pass which was headed centrally by Thomas Muller for defender Matthijs de Ligt to score in the 12th minute of stoppage time.
But the goal did not stand after the linesman raised his flag earlier in the move before the ball went in the net, and the referee had blown his whistle to stop the game, therefore ruling out a VAR review.
“We have to let the action play out until the end. That’s the rule, especially since it’s so close to the goal,” said Tuchel to broadcaster TNT. “The first error is made by the linesman, the second comes from the referee.”
Speaking later at his press conference, he said the referee apologised but added: “It doesn’t help to say sorry or make excuses after the fact.” REUTERS, AFP
