Former Stoke City forward Joselu emerged as a hero for Real Madrid, scoring a last-gasp brace to secure a 4-3 aggregate victory over Bayern Munich and propel Los Blancos into the Champions League final at Wembley Stadium.
The tie remained finely balanced after a 2-2 draw in the first leg held in Germany last week. Madrid boasted an impressive 13-month unbeaten home run and a rich European pedigree, but were on the brink of a second consecutive semi-final exit when Bayern substitute Alphonso Davies unleashed a thunderbolt in the 68th minute.
The strike silenced the previously buoyant home crowd, but Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti masterfully turned to his substitutes to salvage the situation.
Joselu answered the call in emphatic fashion, capitalising on a mistake by Manuel Neuer to tap home the equaliser in the 88th minute. Three minutes later, he steered in a second goal, which was initially disallowed for offside before being overturned by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).
Ancelotti's men weathered a tense period of stoppage time, with Matthijs de Ligt's late effort for the visitors ruled out for offside. This secured Madrid's 18th appearance in a European Cup final, just days after clinching the La Liga title.
The dramatic turnaround left England captain Harry Kane, who was substituted while his team held the lead, facing a trophyless first season with the Bavarian giants.
Tense First Half with Chances for Both Sides
The home faithful nearly erupted in celebration in the 13th minute, only to be denied by a superb double save from Neuer. Dani Carvajal found Vinicius Junior with a delightful pass that split Noussair Mazraoui, but Neuer produced a low save to push the effort onto the post before reacting swiftly to block Rodrygo's follow-up.
Bayern suffered a setback on 26 minutes when Serge Gnabry was forced off with another injury, prompting Thomas Tuchel to introduce reported Madrid target Alphonso Davies.
Kane had been a peripheral figure up to that point, but showcased his danger with a well-struck volley on the turn that was tipped wide by Andriy Lunin two minutes later.
Neuer continued to be Bayern's saviour, tipping a dangerous cross by Vinicius wide just before half-time, ensuring the score remained goalless at the break.
Davies Breaks the Deadlock, But Joselu Steals the Show
The second half began at a frenetic pace, with Davies having a shot deflected over by Carvajal. Vinicius then took it upon himself to inject some urgency, pressing right-back Joshua Kimmich relentlessly.
Bayern weathered the storm and began to create chances, with Jamal Musiala forcing Lunin to tip a shot over the bar.
However, their profligacy in attack was punished in the 68th minute when they took the lead through an unlikely source. Kane played a chipped ball to Davies, who cut inside Antonio Rudiger and unleashed a powerful strike into the top corner.
Madrid thought they had levelled just three minutes later, but Federico Valverde's deflected effort from a corner was ruled out after Nacho fouled Kimmich in the build-up.
A rare sight of goal for Kane ended with an off-target effort before Tuchel made a surprising decision to withdraw the former Tottenham forward with five minutes remaining. This decision backfired spectacularly as Los Blancos grabbed an equaliser with two minutes left on the clock.
A 22-yard effort from Vinicius seemed like a routine save for Neuer, but he spilled the ball, allowing Joselu to beat Eric Dier to the loose ball and level the score.
The Bernabeu erupted in a cacophony of noise as Joselu found the net again in the first minute of stoppage time. Madrid kept the attack alive, with Rudiger crossing for Joselu to head home. Initially ruled offside, VAR intervened, showing both players were onside, sparking pandemonium as the Madrid players celebrated wildly.
There was yet more drama to come when De Ligt fired the ball into the net, but the offside flag had already been raised for Mazraoui. Despite Bayern's protests, the goal was disallowed, condemning the German giants to their first season without silverware since 2012.
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