Resolute Bayern Munich knock two past Roma
German champions Bayern Munich opened their Champions League campaign by overcoming AS Roma in a 2–0 victory.
Bayern, who lost the final of last year's competition to Inter Milan in May, showed patience against Claudio Ranieri's side and were rewarded with late goals by Thomas Muller and substitute Miroslav Klose.
"We kept the ball and our opponents on the move. We didn’t create many chances in the first half, but we did succeed in tiring our opponents out," Bastian Schweinsteiger told Bayern's official website.
"That meant we could get after them in the second half, when we had far more by way of chances, because they couldn’t run as much. We did that very well tonight."
Roma's catenaccio failed
Ranieri opted for extremely defensive tactics in an attempt to catch the Germans on the break, and while his side managed to produce four shots on target during the game, Roma only had 32 per cent of the
possession.
The Italians did manage create chances, though, as full-back Marco Cassetti raced down the left flank, turned Philipp Lahm and sent a ball across the box that ended up just wide of Hans-Jorg Butt's goal.
With 28 minutes gone, Toni Kroos introduced himself as his shot flew just wide of Julio Sergio's goal.
Just before half-time, Aleandro Rosi made himself space on the right wing and sent in an early cross that deflected off Daniel van Buyten and forced a fine, reflex save from Bayern skipper Butt.
Kroos tested Sergio twice just before the hour mark. The Brazilian's one-handed save from the Bayern midfielder's close-range effort was particularly impressive.
Substitute Klose then missed the goal with a shot and a header, while Schweinsteiger drilled a long-range effort over the bar in the 77th minute. Shortly thereafter, it was another German World Cup star,
Muller, who got his chance to shine.
van Buyten headed the ball down to the midfielder after Sergio's clearance, and Muller struck the bouncing ball with the outside of his right foot while turning his body towards goal. It was a spectacular
effort, and the ball crept in at the far post, just out of Sergio's reach.
The Roma keeper made his only mistake of the night when he misjudged Holger Badstuber's free kick in the 83rd minute. Predator Klose got to the ball just before the keeper to steer home his team's second
goal.
After failing to contain Bayern by relying on defensive tactics with minimal possession and attacking impetus, Ranieri's men will have to be more confident going forward against CFR Cluj in the next round.
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