Advantage Real Madrid

MADRID — Bayern Munich got the ball, again and again and again. But Real Madrid got the goal.

That was the takeaway after Wednesday’s (yesterday morning, Singapore time) leg of this two-game Champions League semi-final, with German champions Bayern controlling possession throughout a tense evening, only for Real to strike decisively on the counter-attack for a 1-0 victory at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium ahead of the return leg at Munich’s Allianz Arena next Tuesday.

Still, Real manager Carlo Ancelotti was probably more pleased about the zero in the scoreline: Away goals serve as a tiebreaker, so by holding Bayern scoreless, Real travel to Germany knowing any goal they score there is essentially worth two.

“We have a small advantage and nothing more,” Ancelotti said.

“We know we will have to suffer, to fight, to give everything as we tried to do today.”

Even with his ailments, Cristiano Ronaldo, who has been battling knee and thigh injuries, played a critical part in his 73-minute appearance by setting up Karim Benzema’s decisive goal in the 19th minute. Bayern had the ball for more than two-thirds of the game and completed more than twice as many passes as Real, but could not break through.

“The result is obviously not great, but we have confidence for the return leg,” said Bayern winger Arjen Robben. “We expected more from Real Madrid.”

There is clearly a strong — some might even say festering — connection between Real and Bayern. This was their sixth meeting in the semi-finals of the Champions League and their 21st overall, with Bayern winning 11.

The clubs are among the kings of Europe: Real have nine European Cup and Champions League titles to Bayern’s five, but Bayern have been more productive recently, winning last year and losing in the final in 2012.

But Wednesday’s loss was Bayern’s first in their past 10 Champions League knockout-round games. Since clinching the Bundesliga title in end-March, Bayern experienced an unsurprising dip in form from his players, and coach Pep Guardiola bemoaned a lack of crispness recently. Against Real, the players were not lethargic but lacked the killer touch.

“We were missing that little bit of luck and that final something in attack,” said Bayern captain Philipp Lahm.

Slump or not, Real were surely wary of Guardiola, given his track record at the Bernabeu: He entered Wednesday having never lost in six matches, a statistic of particular note because he made his previous visits while leading Barcelona, Real’s bitter rivals.

This season’s Real, led by Ronaldo but infused with the energy of Bale and the vision of Luka Modric, are still grappling with Atletico Madrid and Barcelona in the Spanish league, but have shown consistent poise in European competition. Real destroyed Schalke 9-2 on aggregate in the last 16 and then beat Borussia Dortmund, last year’s runners-up, 3-2 on aggregate in the quarter-finals.

This season, Real are the team looking to counter, breaking upfield immediately after taking the ball. Their clinical goal exemplified this. The team barely touched the ball over the first 20 minutes of the game, allowing Bayern to pass and move and dance without much trouble.

But once Bayern lost possession, Real ripped forward, with Ronaldo playing a perfect ball to Fabio Coentrao on the left side. Coentrao laid a perfect cross in front of goal for Benzema’s easy tap-in.

“The quicker the ball goes up, the quicker it comes back,” Guardiola said. “Madrid are the best team in the world on the counter.”

But at the final whistle, the reaction from both sides was restrained, as if acknowledging nothing had been settled yet. “We have every chance of winning by a two-goal margin at home,” said Lahm. “I have a good feeling going to Munich.”