BayernForum.com

20.02.2007

A tenacious second half display and Mark van Bommel's late strike gave Bayern real hope of progressing after Real threatened to run riot early on.

An 80,000 full house at a rain-drenched Bernabeu witnessed a pulsating first half, but to Bayern's abject dismay it was the home team who soared above their miserable domestic form to seize the initiative.

<b>Battle to the end</b>

Lucio's firm header midway through the half cancelled out Raùl's tenth minute opener, but the Real skipper restored his side's lead and Ruud van Nistelrooy ghosted in to make it 3-1 in a blistering spell around the half-hour mark.

Prompted by subs Hasan Salihamidzic and Claudio Pizarro, the Reds showed plenty of passion and tenacity after the restart as the men in white went off the boil, only for Madrid keeper Iker Casillas to deny Pizarro a potentially vital goal ten minutes from time.

But the Bavarians never gave up, and Mark van Bommel blasted home with two minutes remaining, giving the scoreline a much more realistic look and setting up a real humdinger when the sides meet again in Munich two weeks on Wednesday.

<b>Starts for Owen and Lukas</b>

Bayern boss Ottmar Hitzfeld made two changes to the side beaten in Aachen last weekend, dropping Hasan Salihamidzic to the bench and handing Owen Hargreaves only a second start since the England man fractured a leg in mid-September last year, with Lukas Podolski in for Roque Santa Cruz alongside Roy Makaay up front.

Under-fire Madrid supremo Fabio Capello omitted Sergio Ramos, Emerson and Robinho from the team held at home by Betis, restoring club legend Raul and young Argentine hitman Gonzalo Higuain, and taking a risk on Roberto Carlos as the stocky Brazilian came straight back from a five-week lay-off.

<b>Sides trade early goals</b>

The long-term rivals wasted little time feeling each other out once Belgian match official Frank De Bleeckere whistled proceedings underway, but Van Nistelrooy and Mark van Bommel whacked the first couple of chances over the bar at either end.

But just as Bayern appeared to have settled, Van Nistelrooy's slide-rule pass freed Raul for a run at Oliver Kahn, the Spaniard getting the rub of the green and coolly netting as the ball ran loose from the keeper's attempted block.

Bastian Schweinsteiger twice tried his luck from long-range as the German champions looked for a quick response, but it was Willy Sagnol's floated free-kick on 24 minutes which brought a measurable reward as Lucio evaded World Player of the Year Fabio Cannavaro to head across keeper Iker Casillas and in at the far corner.

<b>Scintillating spell</b>

What should have been a tonic for Bayern served only as firewater to Real, as the home side responded to the impressive David Beckham's promptings and Raul's fluid movement to rock the Reds with a devastating burst around the half-hour.

Ivan Helguera beat Lucio to Beckham's 29th minute corner, the ball brushing Raul's head on its way in at the far post, before van Nistelrooy stole in behind Daniel van Buyten to apply the finishing touch after Helguera had flicked on another Beckham dead-ball delivery.

Kahn got down smartly to Beckham's low free-kick as the visitors scrambled to the interval without further damage, with Salihamidzic replacing the booked Martin Demichelis after the restart.

<b>Mark's last-gasp stunner</b>

The Bayern keeper was soon in action again with two saves in quick succession, the first to deny Higuain and the second a stunner from Beckham's trademark free-kick.

But that was that from Real as an attacking force, as the additional width offered by Salihamidzic and the introduction of Pizarro for the subdued Podolski allowed Bayern to seize the initiative.

Makaay volleyed wide, Schweinsteiger and Van Bommel drove from distance and Casillas made an excellent stop after Pizarro's twisting and turning foray into the box as the Reds pummelled away at the home goal.

But the visitors saved the best until last as super-sub Mehmet Scholl provided the cross from which Van Bommel smote a volley past Casillas' despairing dive to give the Reds justified hope in the return.

<i>Live match report for <b>fcbayern.de</b> by Chris Hamley</i>