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Bayern Munich (1) 2 - Real Madrid (0) 1 Real Madrid:
Casillas; Michel Salgado, Hierro, Karanka (Morientes 65'), Roberto Carlos;
Figo, Iván Helguera, Makelele, McManaman (Savio 60'); Guti, Raúl.
4-4-2. Goals: It was not to be. Hopes of a repeat of last season's all Spanish Champions League final were dashed as European champions Real Madrid were eliminated from the competition at the semi-final stage by a Bayen Munich looking to win their first European trophy in 25 years. It was always going to be a difficult game for Madrid having lost the first leg at home by 0-1, but they came in to this match with a positive attitude despite never having won in Bayern's Olympic stadium in their previous five visits. Raúl passed a late fitness test as did Scholl, and the only change in either side from the first leg was the inclusion of Canada's Hargreaves for the suspended Effenberg in the home side. That meant that Guti kept his position up front, with Morientes not yet fully fit starting the game on the bench. Despite their defensive line up Bayern Munich attacked right from the kick off, and Casillas had to stretch to save from Scholl in the first move of the match. Then with eight minutes gone Elber opened the scoring, placing a header into the open net after Salgado had headed a Kuffour effort up on to the bar following a corner. Casillas claimed that he was impeded, but it was his own players as much as the men in red who got in his way and Danish referee Kim Nielsen correctly allowed the goal to stand. Madrid seemed to disappear from the match, but with the quality players they have on their books they should never be ruled out, and they created a goal out of nothing ten minutes later to draw level. The move started with Roberto Carlos on the left and his long ball found Raúl inside the area. The Bayern defenders made the mistake of not closing him down, and he waited until Figo charged in to the area before laying the ball in to the gap for him to score. Now another goal would give them victory on the away goals rule, but Bayern were not taking prisoners, and they wrestled back control with some at times ugly football, Jeremies catching Roberto Carlos in the ribs with a high kick and Scholl laying out Salgado with an elbow to the cheek. Then Madrid fell for the sucker punch, a short quickly taken free kick by Scholl while Madrid were still organising their wall which was played unexpectedly to the unmarked Jeremies, and he turned the ball first time wide of the unprepared Casillas. Madrid felt they should have had a penalty when Andersson pulled down Guti, but at half time things already looked pretty desperate, with Bayern showing signs of putting up the shutters. Del Bosque decided not to make any changes at half time, and Raúl went close with a first time volley from a long Hierro pass shortly after the restart. Bayern were always dangerous on the counterattack, with Salihamidzic shooting weakly with only Casillas to beat and the keeper saving well from a Linke header, but with half an hour gone the manager had no choice but to go for broke, bringing on Savio and then Morientes for McManaman and Karanka. Bayern sat back and allowed Madrid space down the wings, but their well disciplined defence didn't make any mistakes, and Kahn hardly had any work to do for the rest of the game. There was no way through, and Madrid fell to their third defeat in a row to go out of the competition. Bayern Munich go on to face Valencia in the final, and having taken revenge now on Manchester United, who beat them with two late goals in the final two years ago, and Real Madrid, who knocked them out at this stage last year, they must be favourites to pick up their first European trophy in a quarter of a century. Héctor Cúper permitting that is. |
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