Munich (Germany), April 20 (IANS) Erling Haaland’s second-half goal guided English club Manchester City into the next round, as Bayern Munich’s 1-1 draw (4-1 on aggregate) on home turf fell short in the second leg of the quarterfinal.
The Bavarians started with determination on Wednesday and came close in 17 minutes when Jamal Musiala found Leroy Sane, who narrowly missed the target with his left-footed effort from inside the box.
Sane remained a focal point as he tested City goalkeeper Ederson with a free kick five minutes later before Leon Goretzka squandered a promising opportunity from the edge of the box in the 24th minute, reports Xinhua.
Manchester City then had an unexpected chance to break the deadlock when Dayot Upamecano conceded a handball penalty at the half-hour mark. Haaland stepped up but fired the penalty over the target.
Bayern continued to press, but Ederson denied Kingsley Coman’s powerful shot in the 42nd minute, while Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s backheel attempt was blocked from close range two minutes later.
The German giants relentlessly attacked after the restart, but it was the visitors who clinically opened the scoring through Haaland after 57 minutes.
Bayern pushed forward, knowing they needed four goals to force extra time. The hosts eventually equalized as Joshua Kimmich converted a handball penalty in the 83rd minute.
The Bavarians pressed, but City’s defense held firm and kept the hosts at bay for the remainder of the game.
With the result, Bayern will have to focus on the Bundesliga, while Manchester City will face Real Madrid in the semifinals.
“We had our chances but were once again unlucky in the final third. We had absolutely no luck in both games,” said Bayern Munich head coach Thomas Tuchel.
“We saw two tight games. They were better and had more chances. In the second half, we made some adjustments as we had some problems with the left wing. The boys in the back defended very well. Reaching the semifinals three years in a row is a great achievement,” said Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola.
–IANS
bsk
