Bayern Munich claimed a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Maccabi Haifa to keep their Champions League hopes alive.
German giants edge past Maccabi at Allianz Arena
Bayern Munich claimed a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Maccabi Haifa to keep their UEFA Champions League hopes alive.
The German giants entered the game in the knowledge that they could be eliminated should results go against them, but a solitary strike from Ivica Olic means their final Group A fixture against Juventus now becomes a qualification decider for both sides.
Bayern, unsurprisingly given the fact that their fate was hanging in the balance, looked to gain the upper hand from the opening whistle on Wednesday night.
Mohammad Gadir did test Hans-Jorg Butt with the first shot on target inside 60 seconds, but the hosts took control thereafter.
The in-from Thomas Muller was looking lively on the flanks, while the goal-shy Olic and Mario Gomez were proving to be handful up front.
It was, however, Maccabi who went closest to forcing a breakthrough once again when a tame effort from Ali Ottman after 13 minutes took a wicked deflection, wrong-footing Butt, but dropped narrowly over the crossbar.
Bayern then upped the tempo and Gomez really should have scored when he met a low cross from Mark van Bommel.
Unfortunately the burly frontman got his angles all wrong and flashed a skewed strike across the face of goal.
Butt had to be alert to push away a bobbling effort from Eyal Meshumar as the visitors continued to look lively on the counter, while Gomez again scuffed wide after 24 minutes as his desperation to find the target began to mount.
Brave
Maccabi were defending for their lives at this stage, with life and limb put on the line as they bravely threw themselves in front of any loose ball.
Veteran keeper Nir Davidovitch epitomised the Israeli cause when he clocked a stinging effort from Olic shortly after the half-hour mark straight in the face.
That blow perhaps rocked his concentration, as he was fortunate not to be beaten on the stroke of half-time.
Holger Badstuber whipped a dangerous free-kick into the heart of the box and Olic, with Davidovitch flailing at thin air, cushioned a header inches over the top - much to the despair of the majority of those in attendance.
The second period started in much the same manner as the first, with Bayern seeing plenty of the ball but Maccabi carving open the first chance.
In fact, Yaniv Katan was presented with their clearest opening of the game when he latched onto a sliced clearance, but he volleyed over with the German defence nowhere to be seen.
Bastian Schweinsteiger then looked to take matters into his own hands seven minutes into the second half when he crashed a fierce free-kick from wide on the left off the top of the crossbar.
That near miss seemed to rouse Bayern, as a number of half-chances came and went, but the resolute Maccabi backline refused to be breached.
Parried
Louis van Gaal's side were piling forward at every given opportunity but a brilliant delivery from Ottman, which only needed a touch, warned them they could ill-afford to be so cavalier.
Olic finally settled their nerves, though, after 62 minutes when a Gomez drive was parried into his path and he slotted calmly into an empty net.
Taking their foot of their gas after edging ahead almost proved to be Bayern's undoing, as Maccabi suddenly enjoyed a period of prolonged pressure.
Katan came closest to snatching a quick-fire leveller, with a 20-yard free-kick brushing the roof of the net on its way over.
Gomez continued to throw his weight around for Bayern as they looked to kill the tie off with a second goal, but Davidovitch and his back four thwarted him at every turn.
The tireless Schweinsteiger tested the Maccabi keeper with another long-range set-piece with 13 minutes remaining, but on this occasion he failed to get a clean strike on the ball, while Muller lashed wide from distance after cutting inside off the left flank.
Bayern were now peppering the target, and Van Bommel saw a dipping drive skip past the post after he unleashed from the edge of the box.
Maccabi's tiring legs threatened to buckle on a number of occasions as the final whistle edged closer, but they can take heart from the fact that they were able to keep the score down to one.
| Bayern München |
Team Statistics |
Maccabi Haifa |
| 1 |
Goals |
0 |
| 0 |
1st Half Goals |
0 |
| 5 |
Shots on Target |
2 |
| 12 |
Shots off Target |
5 |
| 4 |
Blocked Shots |
1 |
| 8 |
Corners |
2 |
| 13 |
Fouls |
23 |
| 0 |
Offsides |
0 |
| 0 |
Yellow Cards |
2 |
| 0 |
Red Cards |
0 |
| 81.7 |
Passing Success |
76.2 |
| 31 |
Tackles |
25 |
| 74.2 |
Tackles Success |
68 |
| 67.1 |
Possession |
32.9 |
| 56.1 |
Territorial Advantage |
43.9 |
|
