UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Inter Milan 0 Bayern Munich 1: MARIO GOMEZ gained a small measure of revenge for Bayern Munich as his late winner earned the German side a valuable win against Inter Milan at the San Siro.
Gomez netted from close range after Julio Cesar failed to hold Arjen Robben’s shot late on, giving Bayern a first-leg advantage against the side who beat them in last season’s final.
Esteban Cambiasso missed the best chances for Inter, who also saw striker Samuel Eto’o draw a blank in front of goal as Bayern goalkeeper Thomas Kraft pulled off several saves.
Andrea Ranocchia, on his Champions League debut, missed the first chance as he volleyed wide when well placed from Wesley Sneijder’s free-kick.
Julio Cesar was lucky when he got down late to a left-footed shot from 30 yards out by Luiz Gustavo, which went just wide of the goalkeeper’s right-hand post.
Eto’o then went down under a challenge from Anatoliy Tymoschuk inside the area, but Hungarian referee Viktor Kassai waved away any penalty claims.
Gustavo then saw another shot from distance deflected wide for a corner as Bayern came more into the game. But the visitors had an escape when Eto’o threaded a ball through the defence for an unmarked Cambiasso who only shot straight at Kraft..
Robben then crossed the ball in but Franck Ribery’s header hit the top of the bar.
Eto’o caused Kraft an anxious moment when he charged down a pass across the Bayern defence but the goalkeeper was able to back track and gather the ball on his line.
Kraft got down well to his left to keep out a low shot from Eto’o and Sneijder wasted a chance just before half-time as he shot well wide. Muller wasted a fine chance early in the second half when he got on the end of Robben’s flighted ball across the Inter box but glanced his header across goal.
Robben struck the outside of the post with a rising shot after he had exchanged passes with Ribery and run wide of the Inter defence to give himself an opening.
Cambiasso then missed the best chance when he pounced on the rebound after Kraft had beaten away Eto’o’s shot, but fired the over the bar. Bayern had a lucky escape near the end when Thiago Motta was left unmarked at a corner but he headed straight at Kraft.
Inter paid for those wasted chances when Bayern shocked the home crowd with a late winner.
INTER MILAN: Julio Cesar, Maicon, Ranocchia (Kharja 73), Lucio, Chivu, Zanetti, Cambiasso, Motta, Sneijder, Stankovic, Eto'o. Subs not used: Castellazzi, Mariga, Materazzi, Pandev, Coutinho, Nagatomo. Booked: Zanetti, Sneijder, Motta.
BAYERN MUNICH:Kraft, Lahm, Tymoschuk, Badstuber, Pranjic (Breno 38), Schweinsteiger, Gustavo, Robben, Muller, Ribery, Gomez. Subs not used: Butt, Van Buyten, Altintop, Ottl, Klose, Kroos. Booked: Ribery, Gustavo.
Referee:Viktor Kassai (Hungary).
