Real Madrid unleashed their most crushing version in the final five minutes of the visit to Bayern Munich, sealing a decisive moment in a match that highlighted the Spaniards’ Euroleague form. The team logged their 18th victory in 20 Euroleague appearances, extending a strong run that has defined their season so far.
Even though basketball drew a wide audience at BMW Park, the night carried a football undertone in memory of Franz Beckenbauer. A moment of silence followed by shirts bearing players’ names and the number 5 created a moving tribute to a football legend, resonating beyond the arena and across the sport’s global stage.
For Real Madrid, the night was historically significant thanks to Sergio Llull. The Spaniard, who delivered the decisive basket that clinched Europe’s premier club competition last season, stepped onto the court for the first time with 1:57 remaining in the opening period. His appearance extended his total to 1,047 matches, the most by any player in the white club’s history, a milestone commemorated by fans and teammates alike.
The atmosphere also brimmed with promise as Mario Hezonja and Dzanan Musa spearheaded early energy. The visitors responded with three triples that gave Chus Mateo’s squad the early momentum. Yet the local side answered back, with Serge Ibaka scoring seven of the opening 17 points to keep Bayern afloat and inject a sense of urgency into the game.
From there, the match swung on a 0-7 run spanning the end of the first quarter and the opening moments of the second, while Llull added five points to restore calm for the visitors. And then the three-point onslaught began to rain down. Real Madrid converted five straight possessions with outside shots, a stretch highlighted by Facundo Campazzo delivering two long-range scores, Llull striking twice, and Vincent Poirier stepping up with a bold third three-pointer in a row, lifting the score to 36-45 as the clock ticked toward the halfway mark.
Out of the halftime break, the Spanish side maintained its advantage by dominating the early minutes, weaving together 15 points in the first nine minutes behind Musa and Carlos Alocén. Fabien Causeur then punctuated the period with a layup in the final 55 seconds, while Poirier continued to chip in, keeping Bayern a step behind yet still competitive at the end of the third.
The game turned more open in the final quarter as Bayern pressed with renewed vigor. Sanctioned by a spate of three-pointers that shaved the gap to five, the home team threatened to flip the script. Real Madrid responded with a sustained counterpunch, as Abalde, Llull, and Hezonja knocked down key triples to answer each Bayern burst. Poirier’s late shot and the visitors’ composure under pressure sealed the affair, extending the differential and restoring a comfortable cushion to end the night well ahead on the scoreboard.
Data sheet
71 – Bayern Munich (18+18+17+18): Bolmaro (11), Booker (8), Bonga (—), Edwards (4), Ibaka (7) -in the top five- Francisco (14), Weiler-Babb (6), Lucic (5), Obst (8), Brankovic (8).
92 – Real Madrid (24+21+19+28): Alocén (7), Causeur (4), Musa (16), Hezonja (17), Tavares (4) -first team-, Campazzo (8), Yabusele (—), Poirier (18), Abalde (3) and Llull (13), Hugo González (2).
Referees: Sreten Radovic (Croatia), Sasa Pukl (Slovenia) and Seffi Shemmesh (Israel).
Events: Matchday 20 of the Euroleague was played at BMW Park. At the preview, a minute of silence was observed in memory of former football player Franz Beckenbauer, who passed away last Sunday.