Sleepy Bayern wake up and put Manchester United to bed

Bayern Munich needed a bit of a wake-up call against a surprisingly resilient Manchester United team. Once it came, there was no stopping the defending champions from reaching a third straight Champions League semi-final.

Bayern came back quickly after falling behind in their home stadium, equalising within two minutes and then scoring two more goals to win 3-1 in the second leg of their quarter-final Wednesday and go through 4-2 on aggregate.

“I think it was very important we scored straight after they did,” Bayern winger Arjen Robben said. “It was crucial today. It looked like a wake-up call because the first 10 minutes of the second half were a disaster the way we played. We were so slow, we were not there and you cannot do that in the Champions League – you will be punished. That’s what they did, but it was a wake-up call and we scored three goals.”

After Patrice Evra put United ahead with a superb volley in the 57th minute, Mario Mandzukic got the quick equaliser, Thomas Muller made it 2-1 in the 68th and Robben secured the victory in the 76th.

“I had no time to tell my players anything or to think what we could do after we conceded that amazing goal,” Bayern coach Pep Guardiola said. “I am very proud of my team and of this club ... They have a big heart and reacted very well. As title holders, we have a lot of pressure.”

The loss means United look set to miss the Champions League next season for the first time since 1995-96. David Moyes’ team are only seventh in the Premier League, with only the faintest of hopes of finishing in the top four. Their only realistic chance of qualifying for Europe’s top competition was to win it this season, but now the team’s last chance for a trophy is also gone.
 

“We concentrated so fabulously but to give up that goal at that moment was very disappointing,” Moyes said. “I thought the players did a great job today. We made it difficult for them for long periods but at the end we just couldn‘t keep it.”

In the 62nd, Wayne Rooney fluffed a shot while having only goalkeeper Manuel Neuer to beat and squandered a great opportunity. Rooney had not trained the whole week because of a toe injury and took an injection to play.