Match Report Moscow

FCBayernNews · News fetcher Joined: 31 Aug 2006 Posts: 1361 votes: 2

22.11.2006

A first half of great authority and composure featuring a fine Claudio Pizarro double was not enough for Bayern to see off spirited Spartak in Moscow.

The 25,000 or so who braved temperatures just above freezing at the Luzhniki stadium saw Maxym Kalynychenko curl home Bayern's first goal against in this season's competition, but that merely stung the visitors into action and Peru hitman 'Pizza' delivered a cracking brace to turn the match on its head before half-time.

The Bundesliga champions were strangely passive after the break as the Russians came out fighting, and Radoslav Kovac levelled from close range with twenty minutes remaining.

Both sides had chances in an end-to-end finish, but the Reds ultimately settled for the draw and must now wait and see whether 11 points from five matches without defeat is a good enough total to finish first in Group B.

Lell for Lahm

Bayern showed a single change to the side which beat Stuttgart 2-1 at the weekend, youth product Christian Lell filling in at left-back with Philipp Lahm awarded a rest.

Sebastian Deisler again started on the bench, but coach Felix Magath chose not to risk Lucio's freshly-healed ankle ligaments on Spartak's punishing artificial turf.

First goal conceded

Home keeper Aleksey Zuev got down well to Martin Demichelis' stooping header and Oliver Kahn beat away a fierce volley from Russia international Egor Titov as the sides made a brisk start, but it was clear Bayern needed time to acclimatise to the unfamiliar surface.

Kahn's 99th Champions League appearance was briefly marred when Kalynychenko curled home a 16th minute free-kick, the first time the giant keeper had been beaten in this term's campaign, and the captain furiously let his team-mates know what he thought of a porous defensive wall.

If the Muscovites had been following Bayern's domestic league form, they would know the Bavarians are currently at their most dangerous after going a goal down, and so it was again as the increasingly sure-footed visitors eased into the driving seat.

'Pizza' delivers

Pizarro expertly levelled with a 12-yard glancing header from Lell's measured cross on 22 minutes, and with the physical Mark van Bommel and the sprightly Bastian Schweinsteiger ruling the roost in midfield, the Russians were restricted to a couple of hopeful efforts in the next quarter of an hour.

Pizarro's 39th-minute strike to hand his side the lead was a belter, the Peru hitman controlling Schweinsteiger's knock-down before pummelling the ball into the top right-hand corner from fully 25 yards with Zuev beaten all ends up.

'Schweini' came within inches of adding a third with a trademark swerving drive as the Reds sought to wrap it up before the break, but Kahn had to be at his best to deny Vladimir Bystrov and Kalynychenko as the home side showed they were far from dead and buried yet.

Russian fightback

Munich shifted down a gear after the interval and Spartak ensured Kahn and his defenders kept warm with an intermittent series of raids. The Reds keeper saved from Kalynychenko and Titov headed dangerously across goal, before Roman Pavlyuchenko drove narrowly wide.

Roy Makaay and Pizarro both had good chances as the 2001 winners sought to restore their dominance, but Spartak were not to be denied for ever and Czech international Kovac equalised from close-range when the visitors made a hash of clearing their lines after a 72nd minute corner.

Kahn spread himself to deny Bystrov and Zuev stood his ground well as Makaay bore down on goal in an end-to-end finale, but when Daniel van Buyten's last-gasp effort failed to go in, the Bavarians knew it was not to be with sealing victory in the group on the night.

Live match report for fcbayern.de by Chris Hamley