========================================================
Holland World Cup winger ARJEN ROBBEN (10) of Bayern Munich, who was purchased from Spanish La Liga giant Real Madrid for a reported 25.0 million Euros eighteen months ago, controls the ball ahead of Inter Milan’s veteran Romania international defender CRISTIAN CHIVU (26) at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in the Italian Alps. (Olivier Morin/AFP/Getty Images)
========================================================
UEFA Champions League
Round of 16
2/23/2011
0 – Inter Milan (ITA)
1 – Bayern Munich (GER) ———— Gomez 90′
An inviting rebound in the very last minute of regulation play was not left go to waste by the visitors as defending German Bundesliga champion BAYERN MUNICH upended reigning Italian Serie A titlist INTER MILAN 1-0 in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League knockout round of 16 — and a rematch of last season’s Final for all of Europe’s premier football competition.
Although the attempts-at-goal finished even for the game according to the official website of the UEFA Champions League, Inter Milan managed to get almost twice as many of their efforts on target than the Bavarians. But THOMAS KRAFT, the lightly-experienced 22-year-old who was elevated to first choice status during the Winterpause by Dutch trainer LOUIS VAN GAAL, proved himself equal to all tasks for Bayern Munich. Twice the skillful Kraft pulled off diving saves to deny Cameroon World Cup striker SAMUEL ETO’O, Inter Milan’s leading scorer with both 15 goals in Serie A and seven in Europe this season.
The two World Cup wingers who have been in fine form as of late for the German club, France’s FRANCK RIBERY and Holland’s ARJEN ROBBEN, combined to beat Brazil World Cup goalkeeper JULIO CESAR midway through the first half. Ribery’s header, however, smacked into the crossbar to let Inter Milan off the hook. Germany international striker MARIO GOMEZ later blew a golden chance by shooting over from right in front following a low cross from Germany World Cup fullback PHILIPP LAHM.
Bayern Munich went very close once again shortly into the second half following a spectacular build-up. Germany World Cup midfielder BASTIAN SCHWEINSTEIGER sent Ribery away with a scintilating back heel to conclude a 360-degree spin move. With a sharp touch from Germany World Cup winger THOMAS MUELLER, Robben raced into the box on the right but crashed his shot off the upright.
========================================================
========================================================
(Luca Bruno/AP)
========================================================
Argentina international midfielder ESTEBAN CAMBIASSO of Inter Milan, whom Kraft halted from close range in the first half, had, perhaps, the game’s most clear-cut chance of all in the second stanza. The Bayern Munich goalkeeper stopped a blast from Eto’o at full stretch and the riccochet came right to the 30-year-old veteran with the vast net wide open. Much to the dismay of the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza faithful, however, Cambiasso hammered his shot high over the bar.
Come the final minute of the match, defending UEFA Champions League winners would find much cause to greatly regret the Argentine’s miss.
In possession of the ball on his customary right side, Robben embarked on a trademark run cutting in towards the center of the pitch. From quite a good distance, the Dangerous Dutchman unloaded a low blast that Julio Cesar got down to block, but did not control. Swooping in to pounce was Gomez, who does not normally pass on such gifts and calmly dispatched the ball to score a famous match-winner for Bayern Munich.
The goal was a seventh this season for Gomez in the Champions League; the 25-year-old Torjaeger, who leads the German top flight with eighteen goals, has scored 28 goals in all competitions for Bayern Munich this term.
========================================================
========================================================
(Olivier Morin/AFP/Getty Images)
========================================================
INTER MILAN : Julio Cesar – Maicon, Ranocchia (Kharja 73′), Lucio, Chivu – Cambiasso – Zanetti, Motta – Sneijder, Stankovic – Eto’o
BAYERN MUNICH : Kraft – Lahm, Tymoshchuk, Badstuber, Pranjic (Breno 38′) – Schweinsteiger, Luiz Gustavo – Robben, Mueller, Ribery – Gomez
========================================================
========================================================
(Luca Bruno/AP)
========================================================
========================================================
(Luca Bruno/AP)
========================================================
========================================================
(Luca Bruno/AP)
========================================================
========================================================
(Antonio Calanni/AP)
========================================================
========================================================
(Sebastian Widmann/DAPD)
========================================================
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
