Bayern Munich 2 Inter Milan 3:HOLDERS INTER Milan staged a remarkable second-half fightback to knock Bayern Munich out of the Champions League at the Allianz Arena last night.
Goran Pandev curled home the decisive goal in the 88th minute as Inter overturned their 1-0 first-leg deficit to again leave Bayern devastated.
The Italians, who beat the Bundesliga side in last year’s final, looked down and out at half-time as some truly inept defending left them trailing 2-1 on the night, 3-1 on aggregate. Goals from Mario Gomez and Thomas Muller, following mistakes by goalkeeper Julio Cesar and Lucio, had the hosts in control after Samuel Eto’o had grabbed an early opener – and they should have been out of sight.
But in the second half it was the Bayern backline which went to pieces and Sneijder pulled one back before Pandev completed a sensational comeback and booked Inter’s place in the quarter-finals.
Bayern had wingers Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery back on form, but they got off to a nightmare start. They did have a strong claim for offside when Pandev’s neat pass sent Eto’o through in the left of the area, but there was no flag and the Cameroonian finished neatly through the legs of Thomas Kraft with three minutes gone.
At the other end Gomez had the door slammed in his face by Andrea Ranocchia when he looked to have wriggled clear of the last defender. But a calamitous error by Julio Cesar handed Bayern the equaliser in the 21st minute. The Brazilian fumbled a routine shot from Robben and Gomez, as the goalkeeper came out to close him down, hooked the bouncing ball over his own head and into the net.
Ten minutes later Bayern were ahead – and again the Inter defence was culpable. Robben played a pass which was intended for Gomez. Lucio tried to cut it out but only succeeded in putting the ball into the path of Muller, who scored with a dinked finish.
Inter had a major let-off as Gomez stretched to get a touch to Ribery’s ball to the back post and send it back across goal. With the ball rolling along the goal-line Ranocchia just got to it ahead of Muller and knocked it against the German and onto the inside of the post before it went to safety.
Ranocchia was living dangerously and his miscontrol gave the ball to Robben, but the Holland man’s shot from a tight angle hit the side-netting. His fellow centre-back Lucio then lost the ball when attempting a Cruyff turn in the area and almost let Ribery in.
The Italians continued to look second best after the restart. Gomez met Ribery’s cross with a volley which was saved by Julio Cesar, but Inter stunned the hosts by levelling in the 63rd minute. Sneijder guided his finish low into the left corner from 25 yards from Eto’o’s lay-off in 63rd minute.
Bayern were clinging on and Pandev took a Sneijder ball down on his chest but volleyed over the bar. Sneijder then had time to measure a shot but he sent it wide.
The Dutchman was finding space around the Bayern box and had a goalbound shot blocked by Pandev. Bayern were getting chances on the break, but not a telling touch to any of Ribery’s countless crosses.
And Inter made them pay as Breno allowed Eto’o to get to the ball ahead of him down the left and the striker laid the ball across the box to Pandev, who fired it into the top corner to complete a remarkable comeback.
BAYERN MUNICH: Kraft, Lahm, Van Buyten (Badstuber 70), Breno (Kroos 90), Pranjic, Schweinsteiger, Gustavo, Robben (Altintop 68), Muller, Ribery, Gomez. Subs not used:Butt, Ottl, Klose, Tymoschuk. Booked: Gustavo, Breno.
INTER MILAN: Julio Cesar, Maicon, Ranocchia, Lucio, Chivu (Nagatomo 87), Stankovic (Coutinho 51), Motta, Cambiasso, Eto'o, Sneijder, Pandev (Kharja 90). Subs not used: Castellazzi, Cordoba, Mariga, Materazzi. Booked: Lucio, Pandev, Motta, Kharja.
Referee: Pedro Proenca(Lisbon).
