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Manchester United logo
Champions League | Quarter-Finals
Apr 1, 2014 at 7.45pm UK
 
Bayern logo

1-1

Vidic (58')
FT(HT: 0-0)

Live Commentary: Manchester United 1-1 Bayern Munich - as it happened

Relive the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final between Man Utd and Bayern Munich as the Red Devils hold on for a 1-1 draw to take to Germany.
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Bayern Munich were forced to come from a goal down to draw 1-1 with Manchester United in their Champions League quarter-final first leg at Old Trafford this evening.

The hosts took a surprise lead against the run of play when Wayne Rooney's corner was brilliantly nodded in by Nemanja Vidic on the edge of the six-yard box.

The lead lasted less than 10 minutes, however, as Bayern grabbed what could prove to be a crucial away goal when Bastian Schweinsteiger fired a Mario Mandzukic knockdown into the roof of the net.

The visitors were reduced to 10 men late on as Schweinsteiger received his second yellow for a late challenge on Rooney, ruling him out of the second leg.

You can read how a dramatic night of European football unfolded with Sports Mole's live play-by-play coverage below.


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Good evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for this Champions League quarter-final first leg between Manchester United and Bayern Munich. The latter stages of this competition are always special and tonight pits two of the world's biggest clubs together in what should be a cracking match. Let's start with a look at our hosts tonight...

There is no getting around it - Manchester United are up against it tonight. It is not often that such a club will go into a home match as such big underdogs, but the contrasting fortunes of both teams this season ensures that United arrive as massive outsiders tonight, while very few people are giving them any chance of progressing over the two legs.

There is good reason for the pessimism surrounding United's chances, not least the Red Devils' form this season. They have really struggled under David Moyes so far and look highly unlikely to reach fifth place, yet alone a spot in the top four that would see them re-enter this competition next season. Currently residing in seventh place, six points separate them from Everton in fifth while they are 10 behind fourth-placed Arsenal. Their most realistic chance of qualifying for the Champions League next season would be winning it, and that is highly unlikely given the task facing them over this tie.

The Red Devils will be buoyed by a 4-1 win over Villa at the weekend, particularly having shown character to come from a goal down in that match. There was also something else for David Moyes to smile about as he received a warm reception from the fans inside Old Trafford, the majority of whom also booed a plane carrying a banner asking for the Scot to be sacked. Very few United fans will be expecting much from this tie, while there is no doubt that they are disappointed in the season as a whole, but Moyes does still maintain some degree of support.

Their poor season can not be disguised, however. Seventh place is unfamiliar and unacceptable for United standards - as is their form at Old Trafford. They have lost six league matches in front of their own fans already this season, which is more than they lost in the previous three years combined. All in all, they have been beaten 10 times just in the Premier League this season and there is no doubt that they deserve to be where they are in the table.

Perhaps the most worrying thing for United is their inability to perform against the big sides. The Red Devils have forged part of their fearsome reputation in recent years around being able to handle big-game scenarios and pressure. However, this season they have managed just one win against teams in the top nine of the table - proof if there was any doubt that their league position is an accurate representation. The likes of Liverpool and Manchester City have beating them comfortably here in recent weeks, and the visit of Bayern could well bring another comprehensive home defeat. United have struggled against big teams, and they don't come much bigger than the reigning European champions.

Having said that, their performances in Europe have generally been a welcome improvement on their domestic displays. The first leg against Olympiacos in the last round aside, United have been impressive in this competition this season, comfortably winning their group. The first-leg defeat in Greece was an abject performance, and any similar display tonight could see Bayern fill their boots, but the return leg provided a glimpse of the old United as they came back to win 3-2 on aggregate. Olympiacos also had chances to put the game to bed in that match, however, and Bayern are unlikely to be so wasteful.

While their form at Old Trafford has been poor domestically, the Champions League has once again brought an improvement. United have won all four matches at the Theatre of Dreams in this competition so far, keeping clean sheets in their last three. Indeed, they have kept five clean sheets in the competition this season, and no side has managed more than that.

A clean sheet against Bayern really would be a precious memento, however. The German giants have scored a whopping 127 goals in all competitions on their way to another record-breaking season that could see them pick up five of the six trophies on offer. They secured their third consecutive Bundesliga title a week ago today, a trophy that joins the Club World Cup and European Super Cup in their cabinet. They are among the favourites to retain the Champions League and also to win the German Cup, where they face Kaiserslautern in the semi-finals.

Should they go all the way and retain the Champions League then it would be just another slice of history for Bayern. No team has done it before, but Pep Guardiola has already set about improving upon what many considered to be the perfect season last year. It took them just 27 games to win the league title, dropping just four points along the way before their unusually sloppy 3-3 draw with Hoffenheim at the weekend.

That slip-up was just the second time that they have failed to pick up maximum points in a match since being beaten at the Allianz Arena by Manchester City in December - a run of 18 matches without defeat. Indeed, they have lost just twice in all competitions all season, and that is a run that stretches back to their ultimately irrelevant 2-0 defeat to Arsenal in March of last year.

Their list of achievements this season is seemingly endless as they continue to dominate domestically and - so far - in the Champions League. The likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid may have something different to say, but it is hard to see beyond Bayern for the trophy again this season. It is certainly hard to see them slipping up against United, although they will be wary of underestimating the Red Devils. They did, after all, lose to a Chelsea aside that finished sixth in the league in the 2012 final.

That final will still hurt Bayern, but the most painful one will still be 1999, when these two squared up in the Camp Nou. Bayern looked to be cruising to their first success in Europe since 1976, but two goals in second-half stoppage time sealed an incredibly dramatic victory for United, leaving Bayern heartbroken. It remains one of the most dramatic moments in Champions League history and United will be looking to call upon the spirit of '99 tonight.

Bayern have a very good record in this competition in recent years, however. Their defeat to Manchester City before Christmas, which came with their place in the knockout round already secured, is their only loss in their last 13 Champions League appearances, while they have only lost twice in their last 19.

The potentially good thing for United, however, is that both of those defeats came against English opposition. United's local rivals Manchester City and Arsenal have both beaten them at the Allianz Arena in the last two years, while the Gunners also got a draw there earlier this season. Away from home, however, Bayern tend to be stronger. They have won their last eight European games in the road and are unbeaten in 10. In all competitions, they are unbeaten in 22 away games, winning a staggering 20 of those.

TEAM NEWS: The teams are in from both sides, and the biggest news is that veterans Ferdinand and Giggs both start for United. The likes of Kagawa, Januzaj and Nani are left on the bench for the hoses, while Buttner does start despite concerns over his fitness. Bayern, meanwhile, have brought Martinez into defence as expected, with Lahm moving to defensive midfield. Mandzukic has to settle for a place on the bench, however, as Muller leads a formidable strike force. Full team news for both sides coming up...

MANCHESTER UNITED STARTING XI: De Gea; Jones, Ferdinand, Vidic, Buttner; Valencia, Carrick, Fellaini, Giggs, Rooney; Welbeck

MANCHESTER UNITED SUBS: Lindegaard, Hernandez, Nani, Young, Fletcher, Januzaj, Kagawa

BAYERN MUNICH STARTING XI: Neuer; Rafinha, Martinez, Boateng, Alaba; Lahm, Schweinsteiger, Ribery, Kroos, Robben; Muller

BAYERN MUNICH SUBS: Starke, Van Buyten, Mandzukic, Shaqiri, Pizarro, Gotze, Hojbjerg

So, what can we make of those two teams? Well, there were plenty of questions over whether Moyes would opt for the experience of Giggs and Ferdinand, and that is exactly what he has done. Certainly, they will know all the tricks of the trade going into this match, but whether their ageing legs will be able to handle the sheer speed at which Bayern can attack remains to be seen. Midfield is going to be a crucial area today, so Giggs' inclusion could be a telling one. He was superb against Olympiacos, but Bayern is a much sterner test for the 40-year-old.

Up front, Welbeck gets the nod with Van Persie still absent through injury. Behind him is Rooney, who has been in superb form recently and looks to be the biggest threat to the Bayern defence. If the hosts are to spring a shock this evening, you can bet that Rooney will be at the heart of it as he continues to make up for the absence of his injured strike partner.

Carrick, Fellaini and Giggs are likely to marshall the centre of midfield, although it remains to be seen whether Moyes will play Giggs on the left and Welbeck up front or Welbeck on the left and Rooney through the middle. I believe he will opt for the latter, providing more width with Valencia hugging the touchline on the other flank. As I mentioned before, midfield could well be the key area this evening, so United's men in the middle will have to be at their best.

In defence, the absence of the injured Rafael and the suspended Evra are certainly big blows, particularly when you consider the quality of wingers that they will be up against. Jones has been switched between right-back and centre-back through the season, with the odd stint in midfield, so he will need to settle in his position quickly. Ferdinand and Vidic, meanwhile, will need all of their experience to hold off the Bayern attack today. Behind them, David de Gea will be looking for a similar performance to the one he produced against Olympiacos, when his saves kept his side in the competition.

As for Bayern, it is hard to see a weakness in their starting XI. In goal they have arguably the best keeper in the world at the moment, and a man that United were reportedly desperate to sign before he joined Bayern. They will note Neuer's sensational performance for Schalke against them a few years ago, although on that occasion he was on the losing side. Rafinha comes in at right-back with Lahm moving to defensive midfield to cover for Martinez, who has dropped into the middle of defence as Dante is suspended. That reshuffle at the back could be a slight chink in Bayern's armour and something that United may look to exploit.

Bayern's midfield is certainly among the best in the world at the moment, with Lahm and Schweinsteiger providing a solid base for the likes of Ribery, Robben and Kroos to work their magic in the attacking third. Robben and Ribery will be particularly licking their lips at the prospect of taking on two full-backs who are not United's first choices in those positions, while Kroos will be keen to show United what he can do after plenty of reports linking him with a move to Old Trafford.

Up front, Muller is preferred to Mandzukic on the night, although I wouldn't be surprised to see the Croat come on if Bayern finds themselves needing a goal. Both players will be keen to impress before the end of the season, with Lewandowski coming in at the end of the campaign.

PREDICTION: We're 10 minutes from kickoff at Old Trafford, which means that it is time for my match prediction! United have been good at home in this competition so far, but they haven;t faced a team anywhere near as good as Bayern. In truth, I don't think United stand a chance tonight, and certainly not over the whole tie. Bayern simply ooze quality throughout their side and I think they could wrap up the tie in the first leg. I'll go for a 4-1 away win.

The most famous meeting between these two sides was, of course, the 1999 Champions League final, but they have met six times since that fateful day. United have only come out on top in one of those matches, drawing two and losing three.

These two sides faced each other as recently as 2010, incidentally at the same stage of the tournament. It was Bayern who edged through on that occasion, but only just. United won 3-2 in the second leg at Old Trafford, with Robben's late strike sending the Germans through on away goals after a 4-4 draw on aggregate.

Tomorrow night the first legs of the other two quarter-finals take place and Sports Mole is lucky enough to have been invited to the Bernabeu for Real Madrid's tie against Borussia Dortmund. We'll be there with Heineken and Ruud van Nistelrooy for #ShareTheSofa, where you can have your question answered by the former Manchester United and Real Madrid man. Simply tweet us @SportsMole with your question and the hashtag #ShareTheSofa.

You can follow the live coverage of tonight's second quarter-final between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid with our very own Spanish football expert Matt Law by clicking here, while I will also be keeping you up to date with the major events from the mouth-watering all-La Liga clash.

KICKOFF: Bayern Munich get us underway for this huge Champions League quarter-final first leg. Two of the world's biggest club sides go head to head, and what an occasion it is. Can United spring a shock?

United have tried to start this match quickly, closing Bayern down high up the field and trying to starve the visitors of time on the ball. Arsenal also made a quick start in their last match and things could have been so different for the Gunners had Ozil not missed an early penalty. United are trying a similar tactic here.

DISALLOWED GOAL! United think that they have taken a lead inside five minutes as Welbeck flicks the ball past Martinez before volleying it past Neuer emphatically. However, the referee's whistle has already gone for a high foot in the area. That was a soft one, it must be said.

United have certainly made a positive start to the match, and they are playing with plenty of energy and passion and the early stages, roared on by a raucous crowd. Bayern have looked to patiently pass the ball about, while United have looked to get forward as quickly as possible.

SHOT! Robben is going to be a real threat down that right flank this evening, and he almost makes a telling early contribution as he cuts onto this left foot before curling a shot narrowly wide. That was only a yard or two from finding the far corner.

The volume is cranked up a notch as United close down Neuer, forcing him into a hurried clearance that gives the hosts an attacking throw. Bayern will always try to play the ball from the back, and United are looking to press themselves upon the visitors high up the field. So far, so good for them.

CHANCE! Bayern's first real chance of the match falls to Muller as Robben slips the ball down the right channel for Ribery, who has all too easily escaped his marker. Ribery cuts the ball back in to Muller, but it is at an awkward height for him and he just can't turn it goalwards.

Bayern come forward again, and Robben is the instigator once more. He looks to have space to shoot on the edge of the box, but he is quickly closed down and his shot goes behind via a deflection for a corner. Bayern are starting to impose themselves upon this match.

YELLOW CARD! The first card of the game goes to Valencia for a late sliding challenge on Lahm. The Bayern players immediately surround the ref, but the tackle wasn't that bad at all. A yellow card is the right punishment.

Robben and Ribery combine again, exchanging passes to create another chance to cross the ball. This time it is Robben who hooks it into a dangerous area, but Buttner does well to put it behind for a corner. It is all Bayern at the moment, but so far the United defence has held firm.

Poor from Ribery as he gets impatient with Bayern's passing around in midfield, trying to take matters into his own hands with a left-footed shot from 25 yards. He slices his effort and sends it well wide, prompting ironic cheers from the fans.

Bayern have monopolised the ball over the last five to 10 minutes. United are struggling to get near it and, when they do, the visitors win it back quickly. It is one-way traffic at the moment, but Bayern are yet to create a really clear chance.

United fans will not be used to having all 11 players inside their own half, desperately trying to get the ball back from their opponents. They are playing defensively at the moment, but Bayern are giving them no choice but to do so.

Still no clear chances for Bayern, but they will be confident that they will make a breakthrough sooner or later. It is more than a year since they last failed to score in a game, and not many teams are as patient as the German champions.

Ribery slips the ball through to Alaba on the left side of the United box, but his cross is too far in front of Muller in the middle. The left-back fired it across goal with plenty of pace, but he would have been better served keeping the cross on the floor.

Just as impressive as how well Bayern keep the ball is how quickly they get it back. United have struggled to keep possession for any longer than five seconds in the last 15 minutes as Bayern win it back time and time again.

Every United touch is being greeted with optimistic cheers by the united fans now, such is the rarity of them being in possession. Bayern have utterly dominated so far, but still they haven't been able to create a clear goalscoring opportunity.

SAVE! It's not often that Bayern go for goal from range, but Robben almost opens the scoring with a fine effort from 25 yards out. Carrick is slow to close him down and he curls a shot towards the far corner, drawing a fine diving save from De Gea.

SHOT! United make a rare foray into the Bayern half and come up with another rarity - a shot! It is Welbeck who goes for goal from the edge of the area, but his right-footed effort is straight at Neuer who makes a comfortable stop.

Rooney has a sight of goal that is quickly closed down by a good block before Bayern go and threaten again at the other end. Jones does well to cut a dangerous pass out but then slips in the area and almost gifts Bayern a goal. Ferdinand is on hand to pass it back to De Gea, however, and the keeper makes a hurried clearance.

The game has opened up a little now, and the crowd have responded by cranking up the volume levels. Rafinha goes for goal with a powerful effort from the edge of the box and his shot hits the arm of Buttner, prompting appeals for a penalty. The referee is right to wave them away, however, as the United defender was too close to the Bayern full-back.

The game has opened up a little now, and the crowd have responded by cranking up the volume levels. Rafinha goes for goal with a powerful effort from the edge of the box and his shot hits the arm of Buttner, prompting appeals for a penalty. The referee is right to wave them away, however, as the United defender was too close to the Bayern full-back.

Lovely one-two between Alaba and Robben as the left-back bursts into the box away from Jones. He plays a dangerous low cross into the box, but Vidic does brilliantly to get in front of Muller and make a vital clearance.

CHANCE! Oh my word what a huge chance for United to take the lead! Bayern come forward again and suddenly United win the ball back and are able to launch a counter. Rooney slips the ball through to Welbeck, who beats his man to race through on goal. With only Neuer to beat, he tries to chip the ball over the keeper, but the German stands up and plucks the ball out of the air. What a glorious chance.

Will United live to rue that miss? They don't look like they will create many of them tonight so they simply have to take advantage of those that they do make. Bayern, meanwhile, are lucky to escape there despite having dominated the match so far.

Bayern are committing so many men forward that Welbeck is able to lurk on the last man and use his pace to latch on to any long balls forward. He almost does it again there to create another one-on-one, but he is penalised for the slightest nudge on Rafinha. Signs of improvement from the hosts, though.

Promising signs again from United as Giggs sends a fine long ball towards Rooney inside the box. The United man knocks it down to Welbeck, who gets there ahead of Lahm before squeezing it out to Valencia. The winger goes for goal but sees his shot deflected out for a corner.

HALF TIME: Manchester United 0-0 Bayern Munich

All in all, that will probably go down as a good half for United. They were by far second best throughout, with Bayern dominating the ball and completely controlling the tempo of the match, but they also created the best chance of the half and should really be in front at the break. It has been a passing masterclass from the visitors so far, but the United defence has held firm.

The biggest moment of the match came with five minutes to go until the break when Welbeck broke free of the defence and had a one-on-one with Neuer. It was a clear chance that the England striker really should have scored, but he didn't get enough on his chipped finish as Neuer plucked the ball out of the air to deny the hosts an unlikely opener. It would have been very much against the run of play, but that is by far the best chance of the match so far.

For all Bayern's possession and dominance, they have not yet created a clear chance. They had a brief sight of goal in the 11th minute when Ribery cut the ball back to Muller, but the cross was at an awkward height for the German striker and he couldn't quite steer it towards goal.

Aside from that, Bayern have been limited to the odd long-range shot, which is not something you can usually say about the reigning European champions. Robben in particular has come close with two shots from outside the box, curling an early one just past the post and drawing a fine save from De Gea on another occasion.

So far, United will be pleased with their defensive performance, but it would be very surprising if they could keep it up for the full 90 minutes. Bayern have not failed to score in a competitive match for more than a year, and they are bound to create a clear chance sooner or later. That Welbeck miss could well come back to haunt United, who themselves don't look like creating many chances.

The hosts simply haven't be able to keep possession for long enough so far. Bayern dominate the ball like only a Pep Guardiola team can, and on the rare occasion that they lose it, they have been able to win it back almost straight away. Moyes will be telling his side that they need to keep possession better in order to take the pressure off the defence and to increase their own chances of getting a goal.

Welbeck's chance came on the counter-attack, and that has looked like United's only realistic means of scoring so far. Bayern are committing men forward and often leaving Boateng isolated with Welbeck, and the England man has shown once that he can get the better of the defender. If they can get a similar scenario to the first chance then it is very unlikely Welbeck will miss two of those in one game.

MANCHESTER UNITED SUB: The hosts make a change at the break as Ryan Giggs is hauled off and Shinji Kagawa comes on. Can he make a difference in the second half?

KICKOFF: United get us underway for a huge second half as they look to hold out and perhaps even get a winner against the might of Bayern Munich. Giggs' departure is due to a groin injury, we're told.

Early burst forward from Bayern as Rafinha clips the ball into a surging Schweinsteiger, whose touch carries him into the box but closes the angle for a shot. He doesn't eventually fire an effort towards the near post on the half volley, but it ripples the side-netting rather than troubling De Gea.

Bayern have quickly regained control of the ball at the start of this second half, but there is still no way through for the visitors. For all of their passing acumen, the final ball has been under par so far.

United are once again trying to close Bayern down high up the pitch, with Welbeck and Rooney working hard in their efforts to close down the keeper and the centre-backs. Every Bayern player is very comfortable on the field, however.

Again, just a little sign of improvement from United as Valencia lifts a high ball into the area for Rooney at the back post. He beats Rafinha in the air but can't get any power on his header as it runs through to Neuer.

Lovely play from Bayern on the edge of the box as Robben plays a clever one-two with Schweinsteiger before going for goal. However, Ferdinand read the play and positioned himself well to make an important block.

There is a superb atmosphere inside Old Trafford at the moment as they try to urge their team on to what would be a very impressive result. Even if this match ends 0-0, that would be far better than many people expected for the Red Devils.

Nice build-up play against from Bayern in and around the United box as Robben and Muller combine to tee up Kroos, but once again the United defence get in the way of the shot to clear the danger.

GOAL! Manchester United 1-0 Bayern Munich (Nemanja Vidic)

United have the lead! The hosts get the opening goal completely against the run of play as Rooney whips a corner right into the middle of the area that Vidic meets with a cracking header into the bottom corner. The United skipper was moving away from goal as he nodded that in, it was a superb header. I promise you, this isn't an April Fools joke!

That has really raised the volume levels inside Old Trafford. United have not lost a game in which they have scored the first goal all season, so they could well be on course for a priceless first-leg result this evening. Incredible scenes.

YELLOW CARD! Schweinsteiger becomes the second player to go into the book this evening, and he can have no complaints. He came through the back of Carrick, giving United a free kick in a good crossing position.

This time Rooney can't deliver a good ball as he clips it too long for any of his teammates. It goes out for a goal kick to Bayern, who are for once looking a little shaky.

BAYERN MUNICH SUB: Guardiola responds to going behind with a straight swap up front as top scorer Mario Mandzukic replaces Muller.

UPDATE: Could we see two favourites for the competition falling to first-leg defeats tonight? Atletico Madrid have taken the lead against Barcelona at the Camp Nou, with Diego grabbing what could prove to be a crucial away goal.

SAVE! Still only long range efforts for Bayern as Boateng comes out of defence and hammers a powerful shot towards goal from a good 30 yards out. It is a good hit, but De Gea makes the save.

GOAL! Manchester United 1-1 Bayern Munich (Bastian Schweinsteiger)

United's lead lasts less than 10 minutes as Bayern grab a huge away goal. It is a lovely finish from Schweinsteiger, who hammered a first-time half-volley into the roof of the net after a knock down from Mandzukic. Massive goal for the visitors.

Worrying signs for United as Valencia is down and has taken in shinguards off. The referee goes over to check what the problem is, but it doesn't look too good for the winger, who has been down for a while.

SHOT! Robben again threatens down the right flank, this time cutting inside having taken Buttner to the byline moments ago. He moves the ball onto his left foot before curling an effort towards the far corner, but it bends a few yards wide of De Gea's post.

A potentially big moment in the match as Valencia, who is now back on, jumps into a challenge in an attempt to win the ball back. It looks like a nasty one, but the referee says that it was just a coming together. Valencia is very fortunate not to get a second yellow there.

MANCHESTER UNITED SUB: David Moyes makes another change as Ashley Young comes on for Buttner, with Jones going to left-back and Valencia dropping in at right-back.

BAYERN MUNICH SUB: Bayern also make a sub as Kroos goes off to be replaced by Mario Gotze. What a player to be able to bring on!

UPDATE: Barcelona have also equalised in their match against Atletico Madrid, Neymar making it 1-1 at the Camp Nou. They could still do with another goal to put things in their control, however, as Atletico have an away goal in their favour.

CHANCE! Big chance for the visitors to take the lead as Alaba's cross is touched back to Gotze for Robben, who controls it before sending a low right-footed strike narrowly past the post. De Gea did look to have it covered, however.

With 10 minutes to go in this first leg, United are still very much in the tie. The next 10 minutes could prove to be crucial, however, with Bayern looking for a second that would put the tie very much in their favour.

Clever stuff from Robben as he slips the ball behind the defence for a diagonal run from Ribery, who in turn manages to dig a low cross out while running away from goal. Mandzukic is not on the same page, however, and the ball runs across the six-yard box and away from danger.

YELLOW CARD! Mandzukic goes into the book for an aerial challenge on Vidic, who went down holding his face. The Croatian striker did appear to catch him with his elbow, but it was nothing malicious.

Neuer has been hurried in to a few clearances today as Welbeck and Rooney look to close him down quickly. He does it again here, getting nowhere near enough distance on it due to the close attention of the United strikers.

MANCHESTER UNITED SUB: Moyes is still thinking about winning this game, as this sub shows. On comes his most natural finisher in the shape of Javier Hernandez, who replaces Danny Welbeck.

United must be tempted to go all out for a goal here. A draw is a very impressive result against a team of Bayern's quality and they won't want to risk conceding again, but at 1-1 the tie is still in the hands of Bayern, who have the second leg at home. It is a very tricky balance for Moyes to strike right now.

YELLOW CARD! Martinez goes into the book, but he will not be too unhappy with it. Hernandez had knocked the ball past him, and the Bayern defender cynically tripped the Mexican striker, who looked like racing through on goal. That will, however, rule Martinez out of the second leg.

RED CARD! Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich)

Bayern will be forced to see this game out with just 10 men as Schweinsteiger gets his second yellow card for a late challenge on Rooney. It was worthy of a second yellow, but Bayern feel hard done by given Valencia's let-off earlier in the match. That is two players they have lost for the second leg in quick succession.

The board shows three additional minutes, but there is likely to be more than that due to the red card. Can United make the most of their man advantage in the closing stages?

FULL TIME: Manchester United 1-1 Bayern Munich

Well, well, well. United upset the odds with a very impressive 1-1 draw against the current Kings of Europe Bayern Munich. That result keeps the hosts very much in the tie, which is more than what many people expected, myself included. However, Bayern will still be favourites to progress with the away goal that, as things stand, puts them ahead on aggregate.

It was United who took the lead in the second half as Nemanja Vidic rose to produce a brilliant header past Neuer from a Rooney corner. The skipper was moving away from goal when he got his head to it, making his finish even more impressive. However, the lead lasted less than 10 minutes as Bastian Schweinsteiger hammered a crisp half-volley in the roof of the net after good work from Mandzukic. Schweinsteiger was sent off late on for a second yellow, meaning that he will miss the second leg, while Martinez is also suspended having picked up a caution.

United certainly still have a chance in this tie, despite the daunting prospect of playing Bayern at the Allianz Arena. Bayern have only failed to win three games at home all season, but some comfort can be provided for United knowing that two of those matches were against English opposition. Indeed, the only team to beat Bayern at home this season came from Manchester themselves.

Right, that is all we have time for this evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for another action-packed night of Champions League football at United hold on for a valuable draw to take into the second leg at the Allianz Arena. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction and analysis which will be on site shortly. The remaining two quarter-final first legs take place tomorrow, and as ever we will have them covered for you here at SM, so check back in for them! From me, though, it is goodbye for now!

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Manchester United Manager David Moyes applauds the fans at the end of the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester United and Aston Villa at Old Trafford on March 29, 2014
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13Arsenal42117
14B. Leverkusen42117
15Celtic42117
16Dinamo Zagreb42117
17AC Milan42026
18Bayern42026
19Benfica42026
20Feyenoord42026
21Real Madrid42026
22Brugge42026
23Atletico42026
24PSV41215
25Sparta Prague41124
26Stuttgart41124
27PSG41124
28Shakhtar41124
29Girona41033
30Salzburg41033
31Bologna40131
32RB Leipzig40040
33Sturm Graz40040
34Young Boys40040
35Red Star40040
36Slovan Bratislava40040


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!