Advantage Bayern
Sir Alex Ferguson can have no complaints after Manchester United’s insipid performance in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich.
The Germans’ deflected equaliser and subsequent injury time winner may seem cruel but were just rewards for keeping Edwin Van der Sar busy throughout the ninety minutes.
Wayne Rooney’s opener on two minutes was actually a blessing in disguise for the Bavarians.
Bayern were given the freedom of the Allianz Arena park from then on as the English champions sat back and chose to break on the counter attack. By that, I mean giving the ball to Nani, who would promptly return it back to the opposition.
There is always a defend-first mentality in first leg ties. However, with the impetus of an early goal, to not build on it is akin to giving the match away, which is exactly what happened in the end.
Rooney had a golden opportunity to kill the tie off before half-time, a chance which we might look back on as a ‘what if’ moment. With only Hans-Jorg Butt to beat, he shot straight at the goalkeeper after great set up play from Darren Fletcher on the left.
United were sloppy in midfield and gave the ball away unnecessarily. This only served to increase the time Franck Ribery had with the ball, not a good thing when your name is Gary Neville.
To say that the United captain was bamboozled by the French playmaker would be a huge understatement. If Ribery was using this opportunity to remind people that there are quality wingers in Europe not named Angel Di Maria or David Silva, he certainly did it in style.
Even without Arjen Robben, United’s defence were stretched on far too many occasions. Van der Sar was forced into saves that not many men approaching the age of 40 would be able to make.
If there was a moment that encapsulated the Red Devils’ lacklustre display, it was Hamit Altintop finding his way easily past three players to have a shot on goal after the break.
It may be pointless to reminisce, but the lack of a Roy Keane-like figure has seen better teams dominate proceedings in the middle of the park.
A different player in his own right, Michael Carrick may share the same jersey number with the United legend but lacks the drive and never-say-die attitude that ‘Keano’ brought to the side in the past.
The fact that he, along with Park Ji Sung, was hauled off in the second half tells you what Ferguson made of his side’s display. This comes at a stage of the season where every match has to be treated like a cup final.
Perhaps the biggest worry is Rooney’s injury that is likely to see him out of action for the next few weeks.
It’s time for Dimitar Berbatov to show that his best performances don’t just come against lowly opposition. The moment has also come for him and his team mates to silence critics who call them a one-man side – not that these people will ever keep quiet.
The last time the Red Devils lost 2-1 in the first leg of the quarter-finals, they memorably rallied to thrash Roma 7-1 in the return match at Old Trafford.
It seems naive and foolhardy to expect another performance close to that memorable night in April 2007. However, it may be that nothing less will be required from Ferguson’s men if they are to reach the semi-finals for a fourth successive campaign.
If Carrick and friends think that it’s enough to show up next week and hope that 65,000 supporters will carry them to victory over the Germans, they might be in for a rude shock.
Whereas the R&R combo of Rooney and Ronaldo caused heartbreak for the Italians three years ago, it could be the tandem of Ribery and Robben doing the damage this time at Old Trafford.
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