A match between clubs of historic grandeur was bound to fill the entire night. The action was so relentless that a winner for Bayern Munich in the 90th minute seemed apt. Mario Gomez scored the winner from close range in the first leg of this Champions League semi-final after a low ball by Philipp Lahm from the right flank.

On the face it, this was a further indication that the Real Madrid manager, José Mourinho, is going through a spell in his career that he may find unsettling. Someone should let him know that this is the normality familiar to the world at large, a state of affairs that he will have to tolerate for a little while at least.

Real's lead in La Liga is down to four points and pursuing Barcelona welcome them to the Camp Nou on Saturday. Mourinho has to give full attention to that while also readying his squad to meet Bayern next Wednesday. A deflated manager was almost humdrum in his reflections on the matches to come.

"It's April," he said. "The team has played a lot of games. You've got to get through it in La Liga and the Champions League." It was not one of Mourinho's more interesting observations and he appears a little disheartened, even if it is not the sort of mood that he will allow to linger.

He was back in familiar confrontational mood when he argued that the first Bayern goal ought to have been ruled offside. "I just have to accept it, but he shouldn't have given it," Mourinho said of Howard Webb's ruling. The referee, all the same, was a healthy influence, somehow coming through a taxing fixture without bringing out a red card.

Even Mourinho volunteered that he did not have a "bad feeling" about Webb. Mourinho recognised the possible value of the outcome. He was soon observing that a 1-0 win would see Real through to the final.

This was a match between two of European football's grandees but it had rawness and contention that reminded everyone of that enduring rivalry between these clubs. It is virtually a tradition for Real to suffer in Munich.

Bayern scored the opener after 17 minutes. It was anything but refined and thereby added to the frantic tone to which two highly-regarded sides contributed. Sergio Ramos failed to clear a Toni Kroos corner properly and the ball came to Franck Ribéry, allowing him to finish from close range. The atmosphere was fevered and not merely because of the status of the encounter.

Jupp Heynckes's men, beaten at Borussia Dortmund before trudging to a goalless draw with Mainz 05, have, in effect, seen their bid for the Bundesliga title come to an end. The prospect of this tie, however, would have encouraged them to set aside their despondency, particularly since they have some prospect of appearing in the Champions League final on this ground on 19 May.

It is a target that will be hard to hit regardless of this win. Mourinho is a chameleon manager, blending into the outlook of his employers. It is natural that he should embody the expansiveness associated with Real in their grandest days. That swagger may be in view for the second leg.

Real's usual spate of goals was not witnessed in the first half with Bayern. The conviction shown by Heynckes's line-up was at a peak level then. Bayern are not so prominent as Real and are free of the sense of entitlement to the Champions League trophy that most likely lurks in the hearts of Mourinho's club, but they have landed the prize on four occasions, most recently in 2001, when they beat Valencia in the final at San Siro.

Such a heritage seemed irrelevant while the players so often failed to compose themselves. The encounter could be treated as a derby fixture since this pair rub shoulders in the history and lore of the sport. The teams may also have listened to advice in the dressing room, since there was soon a more thoughtful tone.

The home crowd, luckily, did not fall into a meditative mood. When a hush descended upon them it was caused by an equaliser for Real. It was unkempt. Angel di María and Karim Benzema set up Cristiano Ronaldo and, after a save by Manuel Neuer, the Real attacker drilling the ball in for Mesut Ozil to score from close range in the 53rd minute.

It was part of the appeal that this was no encounter between calm and collected sides. The accomplishment was on view but so too was the humanity of men striving to live up to an occasion that resonated profoundly with them.

The managers of these sides, for all their eminence, did not dictate events. This evening fell short of a treat for aesthetes but the talent had not gone wholly into hiding. The return, with so much at stake, may raise these competitors to an even greater level.

For Mourinho, the task now is to illustrate once more how thoroughly he can dictate the course of a crucial match. It was a feat that eluded him in Munich.