MANCHESTER UNITED
Van der Sar: 6.5 – One great block on Olic and one great save from Robben in the first half, but was slow down to Olic’s goal. Could do little about Robben’s superb winner.
Rafael: 4.5 – Went rampaging down the right on a number of occasions, but Olic got too much space at the other end. He then provided a true turning point by hauling back Ribery on the break to earn a second yellow card.
Ferdinand: 5.5 – Beaten a couple of times in the air by Gomez, and found too many Bayern players getting shots in as he failed to stem the tide. Also went missing when Olic rode the challenge of Carrick to bring Bayern back into the game.
Vidic: 5.5 – Looked solid until Robben started to run at him and struggled regularly thereafter.
Evra: 5 – By no means his best display, as he had few answers to the questions posed of him by Arjen Robben.
Gibson: 6 – Hit a cracking opener, but was beaten at regular intervals in the midfield to and fro by Van Bommel and Schweinsteiger. Could, and maybe should, have buried a chance to give United a 5-3 aggregate lead just before Robben’s goal.
Carrick: 4.5 – Absolutely clueless for the most part. Too often went missing as Bayern controlled much of the ball. Was far too easily brushed aside as Olic bagged Bayern’s first.
Fletcher: 6 – Once again United’s key midfielder, providing a large percentage of their bite off the ball whilst also contributing regularly to first half attacks down the left.
Valencia: 6.5 – Had the beating of Holger Badstuber early on, providing the final pass for both Nani goals, but his ball control and ability to ride a tackle went missing at crucial times as United looked for a crucial fourth.
Rooney: 5.5 – After an energetic opening he looked a shadow of himself, clearly impinged by his ankle knock. Struggled on gamely, and caused trouble leading to United’s third, but was substituted early in the second half to strengthen the 10 men’s backline.
Nani: 7.5 – United’s best player by a distance, and so easily could have been their hero. Two excellent finishes and several pacy attacks at the heart of the Bayern defence looked set to give United victory. But his inability to beat Butt when one-on-one in the second half told the story of heartache to come.
Subs:
O’Shea: 6 – Introduced to bolster the back four after Rafael’s red card, and fought gamely under the Bayern onslaught.
Berbatov: NA – Introduced for the last 15 minutes with United desperately needing a goal.
Giggs: NA – Unable to use his experience to United’s advantage after Robben’s killer blow.
BAYERN MUNICH
Butt: 6 – There were technical deficiencies on show from the keeper on at least two of United’s three first-half goals. But he was generally stronger in the second half, though many of United’s chances were understandably less guilt-edged.
Lahm: 5.5 – Not to be seen in the first half as Nani twice ghosted inside to score unchallenged, but his attacking instincts kicked in to great effect after the break as he helped Robben cause real damage down the right.
Van Buyten: 5.5 – Went missing as United opened what should have been a match-winning lead. Found the one-man strikeforce of Nani somewhat easier to deal with after the break.
Demichelis: 5.5 – His backpedalling allowed Gibson time and space to get his shot in for the early United goal. Too often slow to react to United slide rule passes as United dominated. Looked better on the ball than in Munich last week though.
Badstuber: 5 – Found it increasingly difficult to keep out Valencia, and regularly allowed the Ecuadorian space in behind to exploit. Will be disappointed at one of his poorer performances for the club coming on such a big European night.
Robben: 8 – Did little in the opening stages, but burst into life with a superb run and shot just before half-time which so nearly put Bayern in the driving seat. But clearly he was just saving his best efforts. He had United running scared every time he had the ball after the break, and his left foot volley was a magnificent way to settle the contest.
Schweinsteiger: 7 – Was far too slow to pick up the run of Gibson for the first United goal, but thereafter he was everywhere. The beating heart of this Bayern side.
Van Bommel: 7 – The usual measured Van Bommel performance when heads were being lost elsewhere on a high-pressure night in Manchester.
Ribery: 7.5 – Kept the pressure on down the left as United’s defence struggled with the twin threat of the Frenchman and Robben. It wasn’t his greatest ever cross, but his assist for Robben’s winner was vital.
Mueller: 6 – A couple of good touches put in Olic in the first half, but he was considered expendable by Louis van Gaal at half-time as Bayern went for the jugular.
Olic: 6.5 – Having allowed Van der Sar to recover when he first went through, his clinical finish to put Bayern back in it was more trademark. Worked incredibly hard to pull markers away from the attacking midfielders as FCB dominated in the second period.
Subs:
Gomez: 7 – Provided just the threat Van Gaal had looked for, twice going close after beating Ferdinand and Vidic to aerial balls and helping to consume the attentions of the centre-halves as Robbern and Ribery looked for openings.
Altintop: NA – Late sub for Robben.
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