'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
What can I say? After witnessing what happened at Old Trafford last night, I am just speechless. As a United fan, I am gutted. The result has just not sunk in. It’s not because of the defeat but the manner of the defeat that makes it so painful. It is easier to accept when you lose against a better team, like the final last year. There can be no complains. However last night Manchester United just gave the game away to Bayern. A team they could easily have put to the sword.
Trending
The big talking points before the match were Robben’s return and Rooney missing the second leg due to injury. But when the team news came in, all were in for a surprise. Rooney was starting the game for United. The team Sir Alex had put out surprised everyone. The team sheet had no Scholes or Giggs or Neville or even Park. Instead Rafael and Gibson were given a start. Was this going to be a tactical blunder? Bayern were full strength. Robben and Schweinsteiger were back. This was going to be a tough tough night.
Bayern were just blown away in the first half. Gibson scored in the 3rd minute. Nani put United 2 ahead with a cheeky finish after 7 minutes and a stunning finish from him later put United 3-0 ahead. The tie was dead and buried. It was football of the highest quality. Without the Rooney impact, United were coasting, proving the fact that United are not a one man team. Bayern were hardly getting the ball. That’s when Rafael got the chance to put the game beyond Bayern’s reach. A counter attacking move saw him running towards the Bayern goal, with Rooney and Nani sprinting ahead to support him. He went for glory and hit it wide off the far post. A pass to Rooney and it would have been 4-0 making a Bayern comeback impossible….the FIRST MOMENT.
All United had to do was keep the ball and keep things tight till the break. With 2 minutes to go for half time, United lost the ball in the middle of the park. Bayern sent a long ball into the United box and Olic scored. Michael Carrick had to just stand his ground and head the ball. Instead he failed to get his head to the ball and slipped in the process, allowing Olic to get one back for the visitors….the SECOND MOMENT.
Rooney had been limping for a good 25 minutes of the first half. At half time the manager should have brought Berbatov in. Olic’s goal had brought Bayern back into the tie. It was important to keep the ball and slow the tempo. Berbatov should have been introduced. Rafael who had been booked early in the first half, was playing dangerously. He was rushing into tackles and a second booking was just round the corner. Knowing this, the manager should have replaced him with O’Shea. These two substitutions were needed at that stage.
As the first half ended, Bayern knew that they were just a goal away from going through. One goal. They started well in the second half piling pressure on the home side. United had gone back to their sloppy best. The THIRD MOMENT….AS expected, Rafael got himself booked again. With Ribery getting away from him, he pulled him behind and the referee had no option but to send him off. The game had changed now. Against 10 men, Bayern now had a great chance of going through. This was the right time to bring Berbatov on. Instead he put Nani upfront with 4 across the middle. A similar decision had cost him the first leg a week back. Berbatov for his ball holding capabilities was needed at that time. He should have been given a free role in the middle of the park just to hold the ball and feed Nani on the flanks in case of a counter. But he didn’t.
United were playing in their own half as wave after wave of Bayern attack followed. The FOURTH MOMENT….With around 15 minutes to go, Carrick lost the ball in midfield. The counter attack lead to a Bayern corner. Robben was left unmarked at the edge of the box and even as the ball fell to him, no one rushed to block his shot. A top notch finish from Robben pulled the scoreline back to 3-2. I couldn’t see more. I shut the set off and retired for the night.
Bayern didn’t deserve to go through. They did what they could but they didn’t make things happen. United gave the result away. A team of United’s caliber should never have squandered a 3-0 lead. They have no one to blame but themselves. Nani was outstanding on the night. He looks good for the future. 2 more seasons from here and he will be a top top player. Carrick showed yesterday that he lacks class. He gave the ball away throughout. 2 mistakes each from 2 players erased the hard work done by the rest of the team. To sum up the night, all I can say is…40 minutes of greatness was negated by 4 moments of madness.
