UCL: Man City put three pass Bayern Munich; Inter earn advantage over Benfica
Manchester City took a big step towards a third successive Champions League semi-final appearance with a 3-0 victory against Bundesliga pacesetters Bayern München in the first leg of their quarter-final tie.
The game began at a frightening pace but the intensity and quick passing on display from both teams somehow failed to create many clear-cut opportunities.
For a while it appeared that the high press adopted by both sides would force the opening goal, with Erling Haaland almost capitalising on Yann Sommer’s hesitation when dealing with a back pass right on the Bayern goal line.
Haaland got his first real sight of the visitors’ goal midway through the first half after collecting Jack Grealish’s lay-off at speed, but could only fire straight at Sommer.
Bayern’s best opportunity before the break came off the back of their pressing tactic. Former City winger Leroy Sané was set racing down the left after an under-hit Manuel Akanji pass, and the winger picked out Jamal Musiala on the edge of the area. His low strike was acrobatically blocked by Rúben Dias with Ederson moving the other way.
Less than two minutes later and the hosts were ahead. Collecting a Bernardo Silva pass around 25 metres from goal, Rodri took a deft touch to evade Musiala’s challenge before launching a sumptuous, left-footed effort into the top corner.
Thomas Tuchel, whose Chelsea outfit got the better of City in the 2021 final, motivated his group to begin the second period on the front foot, Sané forcing former team-mate Ederson into a trio of saves soon after the interval.
Bayern’s dominance did not last however, and Guardiola’s side took back control, Sommer needing to be at his best to tip an improvised Dias flick over the bar.
City then took control of the tie with two goals in the space of seven minutes, Haaland predictably at the heart of both.
First, Grealish dispossessed Dayot Upamecano before a clever back-heel set the Norwegian racing into the box. His pinpoint centre picked out the unmarked Bernardo Silva at the far post, who powered in an emphatic header.
The Norwegian international was not to be denied one of his own though, guiding in a side-footed finish from John Stones’ knockdown to round off an impressive showing from City in their quest for a first Champions League title.
Inter Milan kept Benfica at bay before a second-half header from Nicolò Barella and a late penalty converted by substitute Romelu Lukaku gave the Italian side a 2-0 lead after the quarter-final first leg in Lisbon.
Inter initially looked brighter, then found themselves indebted to André Onana when the goalkeeper made a masterful reflex save with his chest to keep out Rafa Silva’s close-range strike.
The resolute visitors grew in confidence after that early scare, and their satisfaction with the scoreline at the break became joy when Nicolò Barella put them ahead with their first attempt on target, deftly heading in Alessandro Bastoni’s searching cross.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan could have made it two for Simone Inzaghi’s tightly-organised side, breaking clear on one of their judiciously-chosen raids forward but seeing his clipped finish kept out by the onrushing Odysseas Vlachodimos.
The goalkeeper produced another excellent save to stop a header from the unmarked Denzel Dumfries, only to be beaten again when Romelu Lukaku – on as part of a triple substitution shortly after Inter’s opener – fired in a precise penalty after João Mário had been penalised for handball.
There was still time for a final burst of heroism from Onana, thwarting Gonçalo Ramos with the last touch of the game, to ensure Inter return to Milan with the tie in their grasp.
