London: Bayern Munich showed all their Champions League experience as they held Liverpool to a 0-0 draw Tuesday in the first leg of their last 16 match at the Anfield in a game of few chances and little drama. The stalemate can easily be called a moral victory for the Bundesliga champions as they will have home advantage when they play the second leg, March 13.
Perhaps here it was a case of both sides showing too much respect for the other — certainly both were wary of over-committing in attack — but for fans used to entertainment and drama on European nights at Anfield it was a huge faux pas.
“It is not the result or the game we dreamed of,” said Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp. “I can’t remember any chances for either side in the second half. It wasn’t a Champions League night from that point of view. From a result point of view, it’s okay.”
It is no accident that Bayern have reached the semifinals of this competition in six of the last seven seasons and they showed their pragmatic calmness to subdue Liverpool’s normally lively front three.
“I can’t remember too many clubs who have avoided defeat and kept a clean sheet here,” said Bayern coach Niko Kovac. “The fact that we managed to restrict them to very few chances shows that we played very well tactically as well as technically.”
Mohamed Salah had a night to forget for Liverpool, who however, will be pleased that in the absence of their defensive rock Virgil van Dijk, to have kept out Bayern. Key to that rearguard resilience was the performance from Brazilian midfielder Fabinho, who deputised well in the central-defensive role keeping Bayern’s scoring threat Robert Lewandowski quiet.
In midfield, Jordan Henderson delivered an excellent display. In fact he created the only opportunity for Liverpool, but Salah toe-poked the ball straight to Manuel Neuer under the Bayern bar.
Bayern were content to sit deep after the break and the closest Klopp’s side came in the second half was a diving header from Sadio Mane in the 86th minute which Neuer pushed around the post.
Agencies
