Munich, April 16 (IANS) Late strikes by Luis Díaz and Michael Olise sealed Bayern’s place in the semi-finals after beating Real Madrid 4-3 in an epic Champions League quarterfinal second-leg.

Arda Guler bagged a brace in the first half, with Aleksandar Pavlovic and Harry Kane levelling twice. Kylian Mbappe made it 4-4 on aggregate just before half-time, but Luis Díaz and Michael Olise struck in the closing minutes after Eduardo Camavinga was sent off to give Bayern victory on the night and send them into the last four with a 6-4 aggregate win.

Bayern will meet Paris Saint-Germain in the final four with the first leg of the semifinal scheduled for April 28.

Trailing 2-1 from the first leg against opponents who had won all five of their previous Champions League home matches this season, Madrid made a lightning start to a daunting-looking task when Arda Güler met goalkeeper Manuel Neuer’s attempted pass with a first-time finish from distance after only 34 seconds.

That set the speed for a blisteringly entertaining first half, Aleksandar Pavlović swiftly heading in Joshua Kimmich’s corner to restore Bayern’s aggregate lead before Andriy Lunin denied Kimmich and Guler levelled the tie again with a sublime free-kick.

Kane was always likely to play a part in a flurry of goals and a splendid touch and unerring finish from Bayern’s talismanic top scorer restored his side’s advantage.

Mbappe quickly put the visitors back in front on the night from a pass by Vinícius Júnior, who had lifted an attempt against the woodwork in between those strikes.

Both sides could be forgiven for easing the tempo after the break, although the action proved no less compelling as the flow of chances continued at either end.

After substitute Eduardo Camavinga was dismissed for the visitors four minutes from time, Diaz’s curling attempt from outside the box beat Lunin via a touch off defender Eder Militao. With Madrid throwing men forward Michael Olise added a ruthless finish with the final kick of a remarkable contest.

“t was a very emotional game. We had lots of possession and always had the feeling we could score. But Real Madrid are Real Madrid. They are always a threat. The boys were mentally strong to recover from setbacks. The fans helped us as well. We stayed calm and always felt that our moment would come. The next game is the biggest. We keep going,” said Vincent Kompany, Bayern head coach.

–IANS

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