Champions League: Bayern advance past Real, Atlético and…

Champions League: Bayern advance past Real, Atlético and PSG reach semifinals, Camavinga's red card sparks controversy

16.04.2026 10:00 HotInfo

On Wednesday the last two Champions League quarterfinal matches took place with dramatic results. Bayern Munich defeated Real Madrid 4:3 at the Allianz Arena in Munich and advances to the semifinals. The return leg delivered a seven-goal shootout, in which the decisive incident was Eduardo Camavinga receiving a red card for pulling down an opponent during a counterattack. After Camavinga's sending-off, confusion broke out within the Real Madrid team. Captain Carvajal sharply criticized referee Vinčič and called his decision a mistake. During the match, internal tensions also flared up among Real's players — Vinícius shouted at his teammates on the pitch. Real Madrid had put in a fantastic first-half performance and scored three goals, which nevertheless was not enough to advance. SITA ↗

Camavinga's sending-off sparked a wave of criticism off the pitch as well. Football legends and analysts reacted sharply to the referee's decision. Former defender and expert Arbeloa criticized the red card, claiming it was an incorrect decision that spoiled an otherwise fine match. Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer made several significant errors multiple times, and experts were tallying how many technical mistakes he already had to his name. Real Madrid's players and management did not hold back their criticism of the refereeing performance, which they considered the decisive factor in their team's elimination. sport.sk ↗

The first two Champions League semifinalists are the footballers of Atlético Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain. Atlético Madrid advanced despite losing 1:2 in the return leg, having won the first match 2:0. Barcelona tried to erase the two-goal deficit and took the lead in the 4th minute with a goal from Lamine Yamal, but after one of their players was sent off, their chances of a comeback shrank significantly. Barcelona sharply criticized the referees — footballer Raphinha repeatedly stated that his team was better and spoke of being robbed. President Joan Laporta did not spare criticism of the refereeing team. PSG, the defending champions, dealt with Liverpool without major problems, scoring 4:0 against them over the two legs, and Liverpool's Champions League campaign ends without a trophy. dennikn.sk ↗

Arsenal made it through to the semifinals, but their performance raised more questions than enthusiasm. Coach Mikel Arteta admitted that his team is not perfect, but believes it has enough character to succeed in the next round. A serious problem arose in the Liverpool camp — French striker Hugo Ekitike injured his Achilles tendon in the match against PSG and faces an absence of at least six months. For the French national football team, this is a disaster, as Ekitike will likely not be able to travel to the World Cup. teraz.sk ↗

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