Samuel Chukwueze scored a dramatic late winner to send Villarreal into the final four of the Champions League.
While Bayern Munich, one of the outright favourites for the tournament, dominated most of the second-leg, their only goal across two legs came when Robert Lewandowski punished some unusually sloppy build-up play.
Villarreal’s 1-0 lead from the first leg was wiped out by Lewandowski seven minutes into the second half, but Chukwueze completed a counterattack within four minutes of coming off the bench to extend the Spanish team’s surprising run in the competition.
The entire city of Villarreal — with a population of 50,000 — could fit into Bayern’s 75,000-capacity stadium.
And while Bayern lifted the European Cup in 2020, the furthest Villarreal has reached in the competition is the semifinals in 2006.
But the same resolve that saw Villarreal beat Manchester United in the 2021 Europa League final has now seen Unai Emery’s side oust both Juventus and Bayern in the knockout phase of the Champions League.
Liverpool or Benfica awaits in the semifinals, with the English club holding a 3-1 lead over the Portuguese side heading into Wednesday’s second leg at Anfield.
