Forced to react after their 1-0 defeat in the first leg, Bayern Munich failed to overthrow Unai Emery’s Villarreal on Tuesday in the return (1-1) of the quarter-finals of the Champions League. As in 2006, the Spanish Yellow Submarine reached the last four of the C1.
Unsinkable! As a surprise team in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, Villarreal will be even more so in the last four of Europe’s biggest competitions. Bayern Munich fell in the first leg (1-0), the Yellow Submarine took on the Bavarian giant in the return (1-1) Tuesday at the Allianz Arena and put in a monumental performance against the winner of the 2020 edition.
The Germans were knocked out at this stage of the competition last year and could not afford to relive even a poor performance this season. If you’re wearing the Bavarian ogre costume, it’s an insult to be knocked out before the last four… But after their disappointment at the Ceramics Stadium six days ago, where they could have bowed even wider, it was the Bavarians who ended up sinking .
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Pau Torres and Raul Albiol have postponed everything for a long time
However, Julian Nagelsmann had given himself the means to overthrow Unai Emery’s surprise team, initially putting down an elf in 3-2-4-1 carried in all directions to the attack, with five purely offensive elements (Sané-Müller -Musiala-Coman-Lewandowski). “We made a lot of mistakes in the first leg. They made one: let’s live,” the German coach claimed before the game. And for a long time we believed that his players would prove him right.
The Bavarians are putting constant pressure on the surface of former Montpellier player Geronimo Rulli. But the two Spanish towers in the central defense, Pau Torres and Raul Albiol, have long repelled the myriad opposing centers. In the end, the ultra-dominant Germans allowed only one threat in the first period, on a header by Jamal Musiala (30th). The activity of Giovani Lo Celso, so brilliant last week, was extinguished this time by the sprawling Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich.
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Lewandowski’s 13th goal wasn’t enough
But stranded, without a solution despite the attacking players on the line, Bayern saw the clock ticking. And Villarreal were only 45 minutes away from a real thrill. In the second half, the Munich residents kept their embrace and the inevitable Robert Lewandowki, who changed direction with a shot from the right and came in with help from the post (1-0, 52nd), seemed to have tipped this quarter-final.
The 13th goal in 10 C1 appearances for the Pole seemed to remove a thorn from the Bayern Munich side, who took the opportunity to step up their already stifling pressure. Thomas Müller alone in front of goal (71st), then Kingsley Coman from afar (76th), gave the Allianz Arena shivers. When we thought the Bavarians would eventually make the difference, luxury substitute Samuel Chukwueze projected himself, at the end of a deadly counter-attack (1-1, 88th), taking down the German giant on Villarreal’s only major situation.
Less impressive than on the way out, the Spaniards just suffered, determined, but still just as united. After knocking out Juventus Turin in the 8th, Unai Emery’s men, winners of the last Europa League, achieve another coup. And after 2006, for the second time in history, in the last four of the Champions League. Expelled by PSG last season, Bayern were smaller but much braver than him this time around.
