GreenBkk FCB | AS Roma v Bayern Munich 3-2

AS Roma v Bayern Munich 3-2

Credit: FC Bayern Munich (www.fcbayern.t-com.de)

Late Roma burst condemns Munich to defeat

Two late lapses cost Bayern dear in Rome on Tuesday evening, as Louis van Gaal’s side tossed away a 2-0 half-time lead and slipped to their first defeat in nine games. Despite the avoidable reverse, Munich’s first in the Champions League this term after four wins from their first four matches, results elsewhere mean the German champions have sealed top spot in their group.

The 45,000 crowd at the half-full Stadio Olimpico in Rome saw Bayern survive a couple of early scares, before easing into the driving seat and going in at half-time two goals up courtesy of a Mario Gomez brace. Marco Borriello pulled one back straight after the restart for the reenergised Italians, but reserve keeper Thomas Kraft produced some magnificent saves on his first-team debut to keep his side in the lead.

Roma’s persistence paid off in the end, Daniele de Rossi levelling ten minutes from time and local hero Francesco Totti winning the game from the spot three minutes later, the gloss very slightly coming off Kraft’s debut as his rash challenge handed the home side their penalty.

Despite the defeat, the Bavarians win Group E with 12 points from five matches, only three points clear of Roma but with the better head-to-head record. Third-placed Basel now visit the Allianz Arena to round off the group two weeks from now. The men from Munich return to league action against Eintracht Frankfurt this Saturday, 27 November.

Van Gaal opted for three changes to the side held 1-1 in Leverkusen on Saturday. Two were predictable, Franck Ribery making his long-awaited return to the starting line-up in place of the suspended Bastian Schweinsteiger, and fit-again Martin Demichelis taking over from Breno at centre-back.

There was one surprise selection, however, as Van Gaal chose to rest Jörg Butt and hand understudy Kraft his senior debut in a Bayern shirt. The talented 22-year-old thus made his maiden appearance in the famous Rome arena without ever having featured in the Bundesliga or German Cup.

For the home side, coach Claudio Ranieri made a couple of tactical switches in defence, but otherwise left now lying fourth in Serie A on the back of a seven-game unbeaten run well alone. There was plenty of firepower on the bench in the shape of iconic skipper Francesco Totti, much-travelled Brazilian Adriano, and Chile hitman David Pizarro.

Once Spanish referee Alberto Undiano Mallenco whistled play underway on a damp evening in the Eternal City, Kraft was soon justifying Van Gaal’s decision to blood him in a game of this magnitude, standing his ground well to fist out a Borriello shot from not much more than 10 yards.

The young keeper did even better after 23 minutes, fashioning a superb diving save to beat away Leandro Greco’s piledriver, and then enjoying the rub of the green when Mirko Vucinic skied the rebound. Kraft also comfortably held a Jeremy Menez effort which took a nasty deflection off Anatoliy Tymoshchuk, but those chances aside, the visitors dominated possession and passed confidently in an increasingly assured display.

However, chances had been lacking until Gomez converted his side’s first two openings of the match in a blistering five-minute burst before half-time. On 34 minutes, Ribery produced a cut-back from a Kroos pass into the channel, and although Gomez scuffed his shot as he fell, the ball trickled over the line off keeper Julio Sergio’s right-hand post.

The FCB hitman was on target again after 39 minutes, as Thomas Müller reacted first to a stray pass on the edge of the Roma box and slid the ball forward for Gomez to finish with a right-foot flourish. Tymoshchuk blasted wide and Julio Sergio saved from Kroos as Roma heads went down, but Ranieri clearly had words at the interval and the home side were an entirely different proposition at the start of the second period.

Bayern were caught upfield on 48 minutes as Menez hared down the right and squared into the box, where Borriello shrugged off Philipp Lahm’s attentions and showed a true poacher’s instinct, netting at the second attempt from a seated position.

Needing at least another goal to retain control over their Group E fate, i giallorossi upped the tempo and made life far more difficult for Munich than in the first half. Kraft made a terrific double save on the hour to deny sub Simplicio and skipper De Rossi, repeating the feat ten or so minutes later as Simplicio broke clear down in the inside left position.

Diego Contento celebrated his return from injury as a 73rd-minute substitute for Müller, and the home faithful rose to greet the introduction of Totti for Brighi a couple of minutes later. Hamit Altintop replaced the tiring Ribery for the final fifteen minutes, but even Kraft was powerless to prevent de Rossi tapping home at the back stick after a delicious Vucinic pass to release John Arne Riise for a penetrating run and cross.

The turnaround was complete just three minutes later when Kraft blotted his copybook with a rash challenge on the charging Borriello, prompting ref Mallenco to award a penalty. Totti stepped up, and although Kraft dived the right way, the ball squirmed under his body and over the line. Kroos blazed over the bar, but FCB were a spent force and Roma held out easily enough.

Credit: FC Bayern Munich (www.fcbayern.t-com.de)