Bayern took partial revenge for defeat to Inter Milan in last term’s Champions League final with a narrow but hugely valuable victory in Wednesday’s re-run, Mario Gomez scoring the only goal of the match in the dying seconds to hand his side an away goal and the lead going into the last sixteen second leg.
It was by and large a fine game of football between two attack-minded sides, in which the home team shaded the first half but the Bundesliga champions, who twice hit the goal frame, had much the better of the second period and ultimately deserved to prevail.
The 76,000 crowd at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza saw an intense and fiercely-contested first half with chances at both ends but no goals, Thomas Kraft saving well from Wesley Sneijder and Samuel Eto'o, and Franck Ribery’s header coming back off the bar.
Arjen Robben cracked a drive against the post as Munich seized the initiative after the restart, but despite whirlwind action in both areas, it seemed the ball would not go in at either end until Gomez poked home in the last minute to send the travelling support into raptures.
The result leaves Louis van Gaal’s men firmly in the driving seat for the return at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday 15 March. The Bavarians’ packed programme continues with a Bundesliga showdown in Munich next Saturday evening against leaders Dortmund.
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