Barca, Bayern cruise into semis
Source: Agencies |
April 5, 2012, Thursday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
DEFENDING champion Barcelona and Bayern Munich reached the Champions League semifinals with home wins over AC Milan and Olympique Marseille, respectively, on Tuesday when Lionel Messi broke another record with his 13th and 14th goals of this season's competition.
Messi converted two first half penalties as Barcelona beat Milan 3-1 at the Nou Camp and by the same aggregate score in their quarterfinal tie after a 0-0 draw in the first leg last week.
In Munich, Ivica Olic scored twice to send Bayern comfortably through to the semifinals for the second time in three years with a 2-0 win over Marseille.
Bayern had a 2-0 lead from the first leg and Olic all but secured the German side's progression when he struck in the 13th minute, after former Marseille player Franck Ribery set the Croatian up for an easy tap in. Olic then put the result beyond doubt in the 37th by making it 4-0 on aggregate.
Desperate defending prevented the impressive Ribery from scoring against his former side late on.
"We showed authority and in the end were deserved winners, although Marseille created the first good chances," Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes said. "Altogether we played a very smart game."
Marseille improved in the second half but had little hope of ending Bayern's dream of playing the final in its own stadium on May 19.
"Four goals against Marseille, semifinal against Real (Madrid). That's very good for us, for the head, for the confidence," said Ribery.
Heynckes gave Olic a rare start in place of Mario Gomez, who was rested along with Arjen Robben as Bayern maintains its challenge for three titles this season.
His counterpart, Didier Deschamps, had no such luxury and started with four forwards, Brandao, Loic Remy, Andre Ayew, and Mathieu Valbuena, to overturn Marseille's deficit from the first leg. "We had our chances, Bayern too. The difference is they took their chances, we didn't," Deschamps said.
Messi converted two first half penalties as Barcelona beat Milan 3-1 at the Nou Camp and by the same aggregate score in their quarterfinal tie after a 0-0 draw in the first leg last week.
In Munich, Ivica Olic scored twice to send Bayern comfortably through to the semifinals for the second time in three years with a 2-0 win over Marseille.
Bayern had a 2-0 lead from the first leg and Olic all but secured the German side's progression when he struck in the 13th minute, after former Marseille player Franck Ribery set the Croatian up for an easy tap in. Olic then put the result beyond doubt in the 37th by making it 4-0 on aggregate.
Desperate defending prevented the impressive Ribery from scoring against his former side late on.
"We showed authority and in the end were deserved winners, although Marseille created the first good chances," Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes said. "Altogether we played a very smart game."
Marseille improved in the second half but had little hope of ending Bayern's dream of playing the final in its own stadium on May 19.
"Four goals against Marseille, semifinal against Real (Madrid). That's very good for us, for the head, for the confidence," said Ribery.
Heynckes gave Olic a rare start in place of Mario Gomez, who was rested along with Arjen Robben as Bayern maintains its challenge for three titles this season.
His counterpart, Didier Deschamps, had no such luxury and started with four forwards, Brandao, Loic Remy, Andre Ayew, and Mathieu Valbuena, to overturn Marseille's deficit from the first leg. "We had our chances, Bayern too. The difference is they took their chances, we didn't," Deschamps said.
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