Benzema strike hands Madrid slender advantage over Bayern

Andy West 09:13 24/04/2014
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  • Home advantage: Benzema grabbed the only goal of the game at the Bernebeu.

    Karim Benzema’s first half goal gave Real Madrid a deserved advantage in their semi-final clash of the titans against Bayern Munich.

    Bayern dominated possession but Madrid created the better chances, with their more incisive attacking play proving that the number of passes made by a team is less important than how and where they are made.

    The build-up to the game could barely have been more enticing as the current Champions League title holders travelled to take on the club who boast the most number of European crowns.

    Further intrigue came with Bayern boss Pep Guardiola making his first return to Spain since quitting Madrid’s arch rivals Barcelona two years ago, in a rematch of a semifinal which was ultimately won on penalties by the German team.

    Madrid were boosted before kick-off with confirmation that Cristiano Ronaldo – the competition’s leading scorer – was back in the starting line-up after a thigh injury, but last week’s Copa del Rey match-winner Gareth Bale was restricted to the substitute’s bench after failing to fully recover from the flu.

    Bayern quickly established almost complete control of the ball, threatening early on when Arjen Robben turned dangerously on the edge of the box, only to see his shot deflected wide by Sergio Ramos. 

    The resulting corner saw Bayern earn anther glorious opportunity but Bastian Schweinsteiger could only direct his header straight at Iker Casillas. 

    The home team had barely mustered a meaningful attack until they took the lead after 19 minutes. Ronaldo picked out the forward run of Fabio Coentrao and slid a well-weighted pass into the stride of his Portuguese compatriot, who cut out the defence with a low ball across the face of the box to give Benzema a simple tap-in at the far post.

    Los Blancos continued to surrender the majority of possession but they were the more dangerous team when they did come forward, with Manuel Neuer making routine saves to keep out a header from Ronaldo and a 20-yard drive from Di Maria.

    Ronaldo then squandered a glorious chance for number two when Luka Modric released Benzema on the left, and the Frenchman’s precise cross picked out an unmarked Ronaldo, who amazingly sidefooted high over the bar from a great position.

    Bayern were enjoying plenty of possession and occasionally threatened penetration to go with it, coming close when Franck Ribery cut back a low cross to Robben whose shot was blocked by Xabi Alonso.

    And then when Philipp Lahm – playing in the centre of midfield – raced forward and squeezed a shot into the side-netting from a narrow angle.

    But it was still the hosts who were creating clearer chances, again wasting the opportunity to double their lead after Isco’s deep cross picked out the unmarked Di Maria, who controlled well but then blazed his shot high over the bar.

    The second period started in the same way as Ronaldo’s low strike forced a full stretch save from Neuer to his left, and Carlo Ancelotti was wearing the look of a man wondering how many more chances his team wanted.

    Bayern continued to control the flow of the game but rarely looked like scoring as the home team’s defence coped comfortably with their careful passing around the edge of the box, and soon Neuer again saved his team with a scrambling low stop from Ronaldo’s well-struck left-footed effort from the edge of the box.

    If anything, Bayern’s attacks were growing less threatening as the game went on, and the hosts entered the final 10 minutes looking relatively comfortable.

    That changed, though, when substitute Thomas Muller turned to fire in a dangerous strike which was deflected narrowly wide before a right wing cross found another sub, Mario Gotze, but his fierce drive from 15 yards was too close to Casillas who was able to desperately parry.

    There was late drama as Muller had an ambitious penalty appeal waved away after a challenge by Xabi Alonso, before the final whistle sparked big celebrations in the Bernabeu.

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