Bayern Munich 2-0 Juventus: Old Lady is floored by strikes from Alaba and Muller

2 Apr 2013 22:05

Italians were stunned by a goal in the opening seconds as the Germans closed in on another Champions League final

Sucker punch: Alaba scores in the opening seconds

Dennis Grombkowski

Bayern Munich's bid to reach a third Champions League final in four years remains on track after they earned a deserved victory over Juventus in the first leg of their quarter-final clash tonight.
A goal inside the first minute from David Alaba set Bayern on their way and Thomas Muller added a second just after the hour mark as the German giants built a healthy advantage to take to Italy for their return leg.
However Bayern, runners-up in 2010 and again last year when they lost the final on home soil to Chelsea following a penalty shoot-out, will be wary of getting too confident.
In the previous round they beat Arsenal 3-1 away from home in the first leg but were then made to sweat for a place  in the last eight after losing the home leg 2-0.

Being Franck: Ribery leaves Juventus defenders in his wake

Joern Pollex

That was Bayern's only setback during a run of 13 wins in 14 matches coming into tonight's game though, and on Saturday they moved to within one win of claiming the Bundesliga title with a 9-2 thrashing of Hamburg.
Confidence was flying and and they could hardly have had a better start against Italian title hopefuls Juve at the Allianz Arena.
There were less than 30 seconds on the clock when Alaba picked up the ball 30 yards from goal before unleashing a left-footed effort which, after clipping the end of Arturo Vidal's boot, swerved past the hopelessly wrong-footed Gianluigi Buffon and into the bottom corner.
Juve might have felt a little unlucky to have conceded in that fashion but they could consider themselves fortunate not to have conceded more during a first half that Bayern largely dominated.
After Juve playmaker Andrea Pirlo saw a dipping long-range free-kick land on the roof of Manuel Neuer's net, the home side started to create a number of good openings.

Out for the Conte? Juventus coach has it all to do in the second leg

Joern Pollex

Substitute Arjen Robben, having replaced the injured Toni Kroos moments before, almost marked his introduction with a goal in the 18th minute only to be denied by a fine save from Buffon.
Franck Ribery then saw a shot deflected into the side-netting before Robben fired another great opening wide just after the half-hour.
Robben drew another save from Buffon in the 35th minute, albeit a comfortable one, before Bastian Schweinsteiger fired a half-chance over the bar.
Juve's best hope of success looked to be from Pirlo's set-pieces and they almost drew level from one on the stroke of half-time, Leonardo Bonucci glancing a header just over from the veteran playmaker's inswinging corner.
That effort, and the half-time interval, offered some respite to Juve but they were back on the defensive at the start of the second half, with Buffon denying Mario Mandzukic at his near post before then flying to his left to parry an Alaba free-kick.

Mullered: Bayern Munich midfielder made it certain with a second

Lars Baron

Bayern were employing a shoot-on-sight policy and another effort from outside the box led to their second goal in the 63rd minute.
Buffon kept out Luiz Gustavo's shot but the rebound was picked up by Mandzukic and he laid the ball back into the centre for Muller to tap into an empty net.
Jupp Heynckes' side sensed they could all but finish Juve off before the second leg and Buffon needed to be alert to deflect away a thunderbolt from Ribery in the 70th minute.
Buffon then produced a superb one-handed save to deny Muller in the 90th minute and, with the Germany international firing the rebound over with the goal at his mercy, that could yet prove decisive in the second leg. --------------- Mirror Football