MUNICH-German giants Bayern Munich defeated the nine time European Champions Real Madrid 2-1 in an embroiling semi-final encounter that was played in Alienz Arena-this is the same stadium that will host the 2011/2012 European Champions League final.The game was a bit open in the opening twenty minutes,with the home team scoring on the 17th minute through the French international Franck Ribery inside the box from a corner kick delivery.The ball richocheted from the Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos and went straight to the Ribery who thumped it to the corner beating the imbalanced Iker Casillas who was between the posts for Les Blancos. Manuel Neuer denied Ribery's international colleague an early goal for the visitors when he produced a brilliant save on the 6th minute to keep the home team in the game.
The profilic Bayern striker,Mario Gomez was under the eagle eye of Madrid defenders but he got one chance on target when he placed his shot on the top corner to force Iker to a brilliant save.The first half was a closely contested affair that only produced a single goal.The la liga log leaders started the second half of the match like a house on fire in pursuit of their first goal. They were rewarded when Mesut Oezil scored fiiteen minutes after the start of the second half on his return to his native land on his landmark 100th match for Real Madrid.Ater that goal Madrid famously "parked the bus",they did not attack with the same ambition and the frustration showed on their talisman Cristiano Ronaldo's reactions all night.
Jose Mourinho's substitutions suggested that he was satisfied with the 1-1 scoreline when he took out Oezil for the defensive Brazilian Marcelo instead of his offensive compatriot Kaka. He introduced Gonzalo Higuain who has scored 25 goals this season late in the match with only eight minutes remaining, a decision he must be regreting now.When everybody thought the teams would share the spoils Lahm prouduced a piece of individual brilliance when he dribbled past Fabio Coentraoa to send in a cross that was finished rather scrapily by Mario Gomez to end a personally frustrating night and seal a crucial win for the home side.
