A Franck Ribery-inspired Bayern Munich came from behind to win 2-1 against Sevilla in the first leg of Champions League quarter-final tie on Tuesday.
Sevilla made the brighter start and led when Pablo Sarabia scored after earlier missing a golden opportunity from eight yards. But it was cancelled out by an own goal from Jesus Navas five minutes later before Thiago Alcantara scored a header to seal an important win.
The result means Sevilla will have to win in Munich next Wednesday by hook or crook to secure a place in the last four. Well, that seems highly unlikely as Bayern have always been a formidable force at home, especially in this campaign.
Sevilla tried their level best and successfully disorganised Bayern, forcing the visitors into mistakes. The Spanish side’s high-pressing start saw Bayern face a few problems.
Had Sarabia scored that golden chance, things could have been different for Sevilla. But that has been their story all this season. They are a classic example of Jekyll-and-Hyde in the Champions League this season. One moment, they can be blown away by a mediocre team; another moment, they will either stifle Real Madrid or Barcelona to get a positive result.
That was the case somewhat on Tuesday when they keep the excellent Bayern in check and never allowed them to change their gears. The performance was so good that despite losing 2-1 against the Bavarians, Sevilla were applauded off by their fans.
Regardless of a relative flat performance from Bayern, Jupp Heynckes will sense that his team got the hard part out of the way at Seville. Many might think a 2-1 away victory against an inconsistent Sevilla side was a chance gone begging but Bayern players will feel grateful after the shaky game. It was messy and unconvincing at times, but Bayern got the result they wanted.
After a positive result at Seville, Bayern can concentrate on Saturday’s game against Augsburg. A win over Augsburg will see them retain the Bundesliga title, four days before the second leg tie at the Allianz Arena.
Prediction
Vincenzo Montella’s Sevilla have been one of the surprise packages of this season’s competition, drawing with Liverpool in both group stage games and eliminating Manchester United in the last 16.
At home, Bayern are a different beast but Sevilla won’t go down without putting up a fight. However, Bayern remain overwhelming favourites to qualify as I feel the Bavarians will give a taste of their medicine to Sevilla next week.
The Premier League run-in, the backend of the title race for Manchester City sees them…
Everton is having a bad season so far, from their poor form in the league…
Communication is the heartbeat of any successful soccer team. On the field, amidst the flurry…
In the annals of football history, few names evoke as much reverence and admiration as…
Are you new to the world of football betting and would you like to take…
If you are into sports betting, staying ahead of the game is crucial. One way…