Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/288366
Sport 21 maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 2 APRIL 2014 SPORTTODAY FOOTBALL Tonight UEFA Champions League 20:45 Paris S. Germain - Chelsea 20:45 Real Madrid - B. Dortmund Schweinsteiger rescues draw for Bayern against plucky United Manchester United will travel to Germany with their Champions League hopes still alive after holding the much-vaunted Bayern Munich 1-1 at Old Trafford in the first leg of the quarter-final UNITED held off the reigning Eu- ropean champions with a battling defensive display before taking the lead through Nemanja Vidic's excel- lent 58th minute header. Bayern had failed to make their possession count, but Bastian Sch- weinsteiger's lethal finish for the equaliser will see the German side be strong favourites to go through. United will at least not have to face Schweinsteiger in the second leg - the Bayern skipper was sent off near the final whistle for a second booking after bringing down Wayne Rooney. There have been some historic en- counters between these two sides, but this match will be some way down the list. United fans could at least be grate- ful that this was not a home humili- ation of the sort Liverpool and Man- chester City have recently inflicted on David Moyes's team, and which given their record this season looked a distinct threat by Bayern. The first half was a one-sided affair in favour of the Germans in terms of territory and possession. For all of that though, it was United, defend- ing the 18-yard line in numbers and with tenacity, who managed to con- trive the best chances. Danny Welbeck promised some early joy when he rammed home a fierce strike from the edge of the box, but the whistle had already gone for dangerous play for a high foot - much to United's fury, That was but a brief interlude, however, in the wave after wave of Bayern attacks, orchestrated by their wing wonders Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery. Robben curved an effort a yard past the post, then saw another 20- yard strike tipped around the post by David de Gea. United's passing was pedestrian to the point of embarrassing, and Old Trafford's growing frustration with Marouane Fellaini came close to spilling over as the tall Belgian struggled with his passing and even found himself out-jumped for head- ers that he seemed clear favourite to win. For all Bayern's superiority, there was always the suspicion that Jer- ome Boateng was a vulnerable point of weakness to Welbeck's pace. The England striker had already hit another firm shot straight at Manuel Neuer before Rooney played a through-ball, Boateng stumbled and Welbeck raced in on goal. Neuer advanced and read Welbeck's mind as he attempted the chip, leaving Rooney livid and giving his team- mate a blast of his own hair dryer. Moyes had put his faith in the wise old head of Ryan Giggs in his start- ing line-up, the last survivor of the famous 1999 final triumph over Bay- ern and playing in his 141st Cham- pions League match, one short of Raul's record. But this old head was on old legs and after a mainly-forgettable first half for the 40-year-old, Moyes made a predictable change, bringing on Shinji Kagawa in his place. Almost immediately, United looked more threatening, with Wel- beck and Rooney having greater sup- port in attack and testing the Bayern defence. A couple of good moves saw United force a corner, which Rooney delivered with perfect pace and ac- curacy for Vidic to guide a wonder- ful header into the corner in the 58th minute. Pep Guardiola responded by send- ing on Mario Mandzukic for Tho- mas Muller, and the change paid dividends in the 66th minute as the Croatian striker headed back Rafin- ha's cross for Schweinsteiger to fin- ish emphatically into the top corner. Old Trafford, which had been re- energised by Vidic's goal, was sud- denly deflated and it was Bayern who finished the stronger, with Moyes' men grateful that with two swerving efforts Robben - who broke United's hearts at this ground in the 2010 quarter-final - could not this time find the final flourish. Nemanja Vidic celebrates his goal for Manchester United Neymar saves day for Barca after Diego wonder strike Neymar cancelled out a stunning opening goal by Diego Ribas to ensure it ended all square between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid at the Nou Camp, with everything to play for in the Champions League quarter-final second leg next week at the Calderon BRAZILIAN forward Ribas came on to replace Atletico's talisman Diego Costa after half an hour and unleashed an unstoppable drive from 30 yards to put the visitors ahead 11 minutes into the second half. But compatriot Neymar finished off a fine pass by Andres Iniesta to level the score 15 minutes later and set up the fourth successive draw in the meetings between the two teams this season as the match finished tied at 1-1. Atletico had successfully cancelled out Barcelona until Ribas' goal, but were clinging on by the end, relying on goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois to make outstanding saves after Ney- mar's equaliser, denying Iniesta and then Lionel Messi. And Diego Simeone's side's despera- tion was underlined by the fact six of their players picked up yellow cards over the 90 minutes, while just two Barca players received cautions. Costa was named in the starting line-up despite retiring prematurely from Atleti's training session the previous evening, but succumbed to a hamstring injury which is almost certain to rule him out of the return leg in Madrid. David Villa came in for the sus- pended Raul Garcia and had the first attempt of the night, trying his luck from 30 yards but firing well wide of the target. The former Barca striker had a clear- er opportunity just moments later, re- ceiving the ball after Arda Turan had intercepted Pinto's poor kick, but shot wide of the far post. Barca had to make their first substi- tution of the night after just 11 min- utes, Gerard Pique struggling after an aerial challenge and forced to come off for 23-year-old Marc Bartra, who shined in a rare moment in the spot- light. Despite the early openings, the game soon took the same shape of the three cagey encounters between the two sides this season, with Barca tak- ing until 23 minutes to test Courtois, Neymar heading softly into the Bel- gian's hands. Their next attempt was by the ma- jestic Iniesta, played in after Messi had danced around Miranda, but Di- ego Godin threw out a leg to block the shot before it could get to Courtois. Then Davi Alves crossed to Messi, but the Argentinian could not get enough power on his header, and ended the night failing to get on the scoresheet for the first time in six games. Neymar had a final go for Barca before half-time, his ambitious long ranger flying just a little high of the crossbar, while Villa tested Pinto at the other end. The second half began like the first with little space opening up, so it re- quired a goal out of nothing to break the deadlock. That is what Ribas pro- duced in the 56th minute when he picked the ball up on the right hand side following a free-kick, beat Xavi then drove the ball from an impossible angle and range into the top corner. Barca were unable to find an im- mediate response, resorting to Iniesta appealing for a soft penalty and the unlikely figure of Sergio Busquets shooting from outside the area, his effort patted away comfortably by Courtois. Messi then tried to head a cross from Alves towards goal but it hit his chest on its way over the bar. Barca got their equaliser with 20 minutes remaining when Iniesta split the Atleti defence with an exquisite pass to Neymar inside the area, the Brazilian shooting into the far corner of Courtois' net with one touch. The goal galvanised the Nou Camp and rattled the visitors. Just a few min- utes later Iniesta went looking for goal, only denied by an inspired leap across goal by Courtois, who finger tipped the ball out for a corner. Barca had a near monopoly on possession after the equaliser, while Atletico finished the game playing with second string midfielder Cris- tian Rodriguez as their sole striker, a damning indictment of the thinness of Diego Simeone's squad in com- parison to Barca, who had Pedro and Alexis Sanchez on the bench. Courtois made one final save of the night to keep out Messi's late free- kick, and Atletico will feel relieved to return to Madrid with the tie evenly balanced, having scored a crucial goal to boot. Barcelona's Neymar (L) is congratulated by teammates Jordi Alba (C) and Andres Iniesta after scoring