Bayern Munich 3 Manchester United 1
Bayern Munich Mandzukic 59', Muller 68', Robben 76'
Manchester United Evra 57'
Man of the match Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich)
MUNICH // Manchester United gave Bayern Munich a fright, but the holders are through to the Champions League semi-finals after a 3-1 victory at the Allianz Arena ensured a 4-2 aggregate triumph.
All four goals came in the second half after the English champions defensive game plan had worked as well as hoped, even better when they took a surprise lead.
Pep Guardiola had promised his side would attack relentlessly and they dominated possession with three times as many first half passes as United, with captain Philip Lahm, described by his boss as the most intelligent player he had worked with, seeing more of the ball than any other player.
When they were not bouncing up and down in noisy unison, their 65,000 fans waited for what is usually an inevitable opener, knowing much was in their favour.
Since the introduction of the away-goals rule, the home team had gone through 528 times in 720 ties.
More appropriately, Bayern have never failed to win a European tie after drawing a first leg 1-1 away, and this Bayern is as good as they have ever been – at present the best team in the world.
The Bavarians had scored in all nine Champions League matches this season and, at one end of their beautiful arena, they had formed a vast collage saying “Kings of the Cup” in English.
They were confident of becoming the first team in the Champions League era to retain the European Cup but for all their dominance – after 25 minutes, they had 10 attacking efforts to United’s one – the visitors showed little discomfort, defending in numbers.
At the other end United’s front four, headed by Wayne Rooney and supported by Antonio Valencia, Shinji Kagawa and Daniel Welbeck, looked a threat on the rare occasion they attacked. Valencia had put the ball in the Bayern net in the 16th minute, but he was easily offside.
The sometimes selfish Arjen Robben and selfless Frank Ribery tormented with their trickery, but United held out and were content to go into the break still in the game with the score goalless.
Plan A had been to stop Bayern scoring, now United had to score. Kagawa, who had won all four games against Bayern as a Borussia Dortmund player, felt emboldened to shoot from outside the area on 53 minutes.
Four minutes later, United took an unexpected lead, Patrice Evra’s stunning strike rising into Manuel Neuer’s top left corner to silence the home crowd. But not for long.
The lead had lasted 22 seconds before Bayern were level when Mario Mandzukic headed past David de Gea.
The game was alive with attacking intent and the holders went ahead through Thomas Muller after 67 minutes, when he turned in a low ball across the six yard box from Robben, the Netherlands striker. Bayern added a killer third nine minutes later, when Robben skipped across the box and his shot deflected off Nemanja Vidic past De Gea.
United’s game plan was in tatters, their dream of an improbable victory too. Bayern, finalists in three of the past four years, march on.
After 18 successive seasons in the Champions League, it looks like it will be a while before United – seventh at present in the Premier League – play in the competition again.
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