Bayern Munich v Real Madrid was billed as a potentially classic Champions League clash.However, the first leg of the semi-final at the Allianz Arena was an incredibly low-quality affair, much to the surprise of football fans.In the end, Los Blancos came out 2-1 winners courtesy of goals from Marcelo and Marco Asensio after Joshua Kimmich had given the Bavarian side the lead early on.Real will go the Bernabeu as the heavy favourites to progress, with Liverpool likely to be their opponents in the final after they beat Roma 5-2 at Anfield.Zinedine Zidane was praised for his tactics in Munich, with Lucas Vazquez starting in a front two alongside Cristiano Ronaldo to great effect.The introduction of Asensio for Isco for the second-half was also a masterstroke, but it was another one of the Frenchman's substitutions that got the BT Sport studio taking.After Dani Carvajal injured his hamstring, Karim Benzema was surprisingly introduced, with Vazquez slotting in at right-back.The French striker was very poor during the short time he was on the pitch, leaving the likes of Steven Gerrard and Rio Ferdinand bemused at why Gareth Bale wasn't introduced instead.Gary Lineker's tweet about Benzema after a dreadful attempt at a pass said it all.

And they think that this latest snub signals the end of his career in Madrid.

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If you can't get it over a hopelessly out-of-form Benzema, it really is time to move on.

Prior to the match, reports surfaced that Bayern were actually interested in bringing Bale to Germany, with the Welshman responding positively to the rumour.

"You can never rule out anything in football," he told Bild.

"Currently I play at Real Madrid and I enjoy that. Bayern have a fantastic squad and in the past they have always been one of the most successful clubs in Europe. It's an honour for everyone to be linked with this club. But as of now, I am a Real Madrid player."

Premier League clubs have also expressed an interest in the winger and it seems as if Bale could be the first high-profile transfer saga of the summer months.

If he can find some form on a consistent basis, whoever gets him will be getting a world-class player.