5 takeaways from Bayern Munich's 2-2 draw with Real Madrid in the Champions League | OneFootball

The first leg at the Allianz Arena ended in a stalemate and there is nothing to separate these two behemoths of European football ahead of the return fixture back at the Santiago Bernabeu next Wednesday.

Vinicius Junior gave Madrid the lead midway through the first half before Leroy Sane cancelled out this strike shortly after the break. Harry Kane then put Bayern in front from the penalty spot, only for a spot-kick of Vinicius' own to level the tie late on.

Real Madrid always find a way

Madrid were able to sustain long spells of Bayern pressure / Alex Pantling/GettyImages

Barcelona striker and former Bayern favourite Robert Lewandowski sent a rather ominous warning to the Bavarians ahead of this tie.

"You can never underestimate Real Madrid," he said. "They win games where you can't believe it, where there is no explanation. Real Madrid are never dead. They never give up. They act as a team on the entire pitch. Sometimes you think you're close to winning, but in the end you don't."

Over the last decade, this has been Madrid's Champions League heritage. Even if they aren't the best team, they just won't die unless you drive a stake through their heart.

Bayern began the evening on top, only for Los Blancos to score with their first chance and first shot. When the game was slipping away from them in the closing stages, Rodrygo came alive and drew a foul out of Kim Min-jae that allowed Vinicius to convert from 12 yards.

A 2-2 draw with Madrid in isolation is a decent result for Bayern, particularly after their chaotic domestic season to this point. But needing to win at the Bernabeu is a tough ask of any team at any times, let alone in the second leg of a Champions League semi-final.

Vinicius Junior's unassuming rise

Stepping up for Madrid once again / Alex Pantling/GettyImages

For a third-successive season, Vinicius scored for Madrid in a Champions League semi-final. That famed number seven shirt is looking natural on him.

It's been a tough campaign for the Brazilian having to play in a more central striker role due to the club's long-term plans to recruit Kylian Mbappe instead of a natural number nine, but he's delivered for them on the big stage again.

It wasn't too long ago that Karim Benzema claimed Vinicius was 'playing against' Madrid, that it seemed his carefree promise might not amount to much on a tangible level. But every time he's been questioned in recent years, he's come out swinging and silenced any remaining doubters.

A semi-final frontier for Jude Bellingham

Bellingham had a quiet night / Daniel Kopatsch/GettyImages

Such has been the fantasy of Jude Bellingham's debut season at Madrid that it's easy to forget he's only 20.

This was his first appearance in a Champions League semi-final and it was far from a memorable one. When his playing days are over, it's likely this will rank as his worst performance at this stage of the competition.

It's not as if Bellingham was outrageously bad, but he was quiet and failed to get a grip of the game at any point. Carlo Ancelotti revealed post-match that the youngster had been carrying an injury anyways.

There's no point going in hard on Bellingham for such a display. He's only going to shut you up, and that may come as soon as next Wednesday in the second leg.

Harry Kane's semi-vindication

Kane had his moment / Boris Streubel/GettyImages

Kane might not win a first trophy of his career this season - despite joining Fussball-Club Bayern Munchen, who have 83 pieces of silverware in their cabinet - but this kind of fixture is the exact reason he left Tottenham Hotspur in search of a new challenge.

When the sun sets later and is still just about hanging in the sky when the game kicks off, you know it's the business end of the Champions League season. These are the matches you want to be playing in. These stars from Munich and Madrid are who you want to be rubbing shoulders with.

Kane stood out in the first half with his trademark link-up. His goal, even if one from the penalty spot, could prove to be one of the most important he'll ever score if Bayern's run ends in glory.

This is the stage for the best players and it's one Kane has long deserved to grace. Here he is.

What the hell has Eric Dier been eating?

Only one of these players performed well in a Champions League semi-final / Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/GettyImages

This is coming from someone who has watched Eric Dier's entire top-level career unfold before their eyes - the defender has never played as well at any point of his life as he has during his time with Bayern.

Dier needed to leave Tottenham and Tottenham needed Dier to leave. It was just too convoluted to continue. And to the 30-year-old's credit, he's come up with the goods in Bavaria to this point.

Surprisingly, Dier was the calm and cool head in Bayern's backline against the 14-time champions of Europe. He knew when to drop and when to sit, when to bite and when to break. The same can't be said of reigning Serie A Best Defender award-winner Kim.