Wayne Rooney's injury added salt to United's wounds
at the Allianz Arena
Ivica Olic hit an injury-time winner to
give Bayern Munich the advantage after the first leg of the Champions
League quarter-final with Manchester United.
United took the
lead after only 66 seconds when Wayne Rooney volleyed in six yards out
from Nani's free-kick.
But Franck Ribery's deflected free-kick
set up a dramatic finale, rounded off by Olic's cool run and finish
after a defensive error by Patrice Evra.
United's misery was made
complete when Rooney limped off with an ankle injury.
The
England striker appeared in severe pain after turning over on his right
leg in the build-up to Bayern's winner.
United will hope the
injury is not too serious, as they face a crucial Premier League match
against on Chelsea on Saturday as well as the return match with Bayern
next week.
It had started so well for United - and Rooney - but
the visitors allowed Bayern to take control of a tie which is delicately
balanced ahead of the second leg at Old Trafford on 7 April.
Sir
Alex Ferguson's side will comfort themselves in the knowledge that they
have an away goal, but the defeat marked their first in 16 unbeaten
European away matches and leaves them with plenty to do, particularly
should Rooney be missing in a week's time and Bayern be boosted by the
return of winger Arjen Robben after a calf problem.
Much of the talk had centred on that pair before the game, but while
Robben had to watch from the stands due to injury, Rooney took no time
at all to make his mark on the tie.
With barely more than a
minute on the clock Nani's free-kick from the right looped off the head
of Mark van Bommel and, as Martin Demichelis slipped in the box, Rooney -
in acres of space - volleyed home left-footed.
It was exactly
the start United boss Ferguson wanted, especially after he had admitted
beforehand that he would take a goal over a clean sheet from the tie in
Germany.
It did not, however, prompt a United procession as some
might have expected. Instead, with United dropping deeper as the match
went on in an attempt to play on the counter, Bayern slowly got a
foothold in the game and began to utilise the weapons at their disposal.
Most notably, Ribery began to torment right-back Gary Neville.
It was he who forced the first save of the tie from Edwin van der Sar
with a deflected 18-yard effort, and the Frenchman who then twice caused
panic in the home defence in quick succession.
First, his delicious ball over the top was miscontrolled by Hamit
Altintop when he had just the keeper to beat, and then his cross was
only half-cleared by Van der Sar, Olic somehow allowing Altintop's
rebound shot to slip under his foot with the goal gaping.
At the
other end, Rooney and Nani were causing plenty of problems of their own,
the latter pulling a shot wide and then hitting the bar with a
misplaced cross, before Rooney failed to make the most of a fine Darren
Fletcher cross, his shot beaten away by Hans-Jorg Butt.
Still,
Ferguson cut a clearly frustrated figure on the touchlines - and if
United fans wondered why they had their answer when Bayern upped the
pace again in the second half.
Olic, Thomas Muller and Mark van
Bommel all brought Van der Sar into action with decent efforts, while a
mazy dribble from Altintop was almost topped by a cracking finish only
for the Dutchman to save.
In response, Ferguson replaced Michael
Carrick and the ineffective Ji-Sung Park with Dimitar Berbatov and
Antonio Valencia, but still the Bayern chances came - Olic's toe-poke
saved at his near post by Van der Sar and then, ultimately, came their
equaliser.
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606: DEBATE
Evra and Park Rush Hour 3
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Neville gave away the free-kick with a needless handball, and Ribery
punished the veteran's lapse in concentration to the full extent when
his tame free-kick made its way through the wall and in via a deflection
off Rooney.
United responded briefly and almost pulled
themselves back in front completely against the run of play when Nemanja
Vidic rattled the crossbar with a bullet header from Ryan Giggs corner.
But still they looked vulnerable at the back and, in a finale
reminiscent of that in 1999 when United came from a goal down in injury
time to beat Bayern to the Champions League trophy at the Nou Camp, the
hosts had saved their most dramatic moment until the last.
Evra
was the guilty party, dallying on the ball and allowing Olic to steal
in, drive into the box, and clip past Van der Sar to send the home fans
into raptures.
With Bayern players celebrating, meanwhile, Rooney
was being helped from the field.
United can ill afford to lose
Rooney at this vital stage of the season - and England coach Fabio
Capello will also be concerned with the World Cup just over two months
away.
