Rivals offer United hope for 2nd leg
Print Edition
MANCHESTER United can take heart from rivals Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea when it travels to Bayern Munich next week looking for the result that will knock the holder out of the Champions League.
Their quarterfinal tie tipped in Bayern’s favor after the first leg ended in a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford on Tuesday but City, Chelsea and Arsenal, twice, have all avoided defeat in Munich in the last two years.
City came from 0-2 down to beat Bayern 3-2 in a group stage match in December, Arsenal won there last season and drew 1-1 in the last 16 last month while Chelsea beat Bayern on its own turf to win the Champions League final on penalties in 2012.
United itself won 5-0 on its last visit to Germany when it swamped Bayer Leverkusen in the group stage in November.
Although Bayern was boosted by Bastian Schweinsteiger’s away goal at Old Trafford which cancelled out Nemanja Vidic’s header for the home side, it will be without the influential midfielder for the return leg after he was sent off in the closing minutes after tripping Wayne Rooney.
Bayern coach Pep Guardiola was upset with Spanish referee Carlos Velasco Carballo for the sending off and seemed to make a diving motion suggesting Rooney took unfair advantage.
After telling reporters he thought the dismissal was unfair, he continued: “But it’s OK. If you want to win the Champions League you have to solve and overcome everything during the competition. I gave my opinion to the referee, that’s all.”
Bayern will also be without defender Javi Martinez and will also have to cope with a new-found confidence in the United camp with manager David Moyes and his players expressing real belief in themselves to get the result that will see them reach the semifinals for the first time since 2011.
That confidence was expressed by Ryan Giggs on Monday and it was borne out by a performance that had little in common with United’s English Premier League displays which have left it seventh in the table.
United has saved its best for the Champions League, losing only once in nine matches and although Bayern dominated possession, United defended well.
Moyes, who has endured a tough first season since taking over from the retired Alex Ferguson, issued a rallying call, saying: “I think we have given ourselves a great opportunity to go to Munich and get a victory. This shows they have a fight on their hands. We will go toe-to-toe with them.”
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