Bayern Munich 3 Manchester United 1
Bayern Munich Mandzukic 59', Muller 68', Robben 76'
Manchester United Evra 57'
Man of the match Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich)
MUNICH // Manchester United gave Bayern Munich a fright, but the holders are through to the Champions League semi-finals after a 3-1 victory at the Allianz Arena ensured a 4-2 aggregate triumph.
All four goals came in the second half after the English champions defensive game plan had worked as well as hoped, even better when they took a surprise lead.
Pep Guardiola had promised his side would attack relentlessly and they dominated possession with three times as many first half passes as United, with captain Philip Lahm, described by his boss as the most intelligent player he had worked with, seeing more of the ball than any other player.
When they were not bouncing up and down in noisy unison, their 65,000 fans waited for what is usually an inevitable opener, knowing much was in their favour.
Since the introduction of the away-goals rule, the home team had gone through 528 times in 720 ties.
More appropriately, Bayern have never failed to win a European tie after drawing a first leg 1-1 away, and this Bayern is as good as they have ever been – at present the best team in the world.
The Bavarians had scored in all nine Champions League matches this season and, at one end of their beautiful arena, they had formed a vast collage saying “Kings of the Cup” in English.
They were confident of becoming the first team in the Champions League era to retain the European Cup but for all their dominance – after 25 minutes, they had 10 attacking efforts to United’s one – the visitors showed little discomfort, defending in numbers.
At the other end United’s front four, headed by Wayne Rooney and supported by Antonio Valencia, Shinji Kagawa and Daniel Welbeck, looked a threat on the rare occasion they attacked. Valencia had put the ball in the Bayern net in the 16th minute, but he was easily offside.
The sometimes selfish Arjen Robben and selfless Frank Ribery tormented with their trickery, but United held out and were content to go into the break still in the game with the score goalless.
Plan A had been to stop Bayern scoring, now United had to score. Kagawa, who had won all four games against Bayern as a Borussia Dortmund player, felt emboldened to shoot from outside the area on 53 minutes.
Four minutes later, United took an unexpected lead, Patrice Evra’s stunning strike rising into Manuel Neuer’s top left corner to silence the home crowd. But not for long.
The lead had lasted 22 seconds before Bayern were level when Mario Mandzukic headed past David de Gea.
The game was alive with attacking intent and the holders went ahead through Thomas Muller after 67 minutes, when he turned in a low ball across the six yard box from Robben, the Netherlands striker. Bayern added a killer third nine minutes later, when Robben skipped across the box and his shot deflected off Nemanja Vidic past De Gea.
United’s game plan was in tatters, their dream of an improbable victory too. Bayern, finalists in three of the past four years, march on.
After 18 successive seasons in the Champions League, it looks like it will be a while before United – seventh at present in the Premier League – play in the competition again.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
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- US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
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Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN MARITIME DISPUTE
2000: Israel withdraws from Lebanon after nearly 30 years without an officially demarcated border. The UN establishes the Blue Line to act as the frontier.
2007: Lebanon and Cyprus define their respective exclusive economic zones to facilitate oil and gas exploration. Israel uses this to define its EEZ with Cyprus
2011: Lebanon disputes Israeli-proposed line and submits documents to UN showing different EEZ. Cyprus offers to mediate without much progress.
2018: Lebanon signs first offshore oil and gas licencing deal with consortium of France’s Total, Italy’s Eni and Russia’s Novatek.
2018-2019: US seeks to mediate between Israel and Lebanon to prevent clashes over oil and gas resources.
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
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Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Sustainable Development Goals
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
