Champions League - Late Gomez strike sinks Inter
Mario Gomez struck in the final minute to give Bayern Munich a vital 1-0 win in their Champions League last-16 first leg tie against Internazionale at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.
The game appeared set to end in a goalless stalemate before Julio Cesar spilled Arjen Robben's speculative drive, allowing Gomez to tap home a crucial away goal.
Bayern had rattled the woodwork once in each half, with Franck Ribery heading onto the bar before Robben's angled shot hit the post after the interval.
But despite failing to leave second gear for the majority of their home leg, Inter could easily have led on several occasions but for a pair of missed sitters from Andrea Ranocchia and Esteban Cambiasso.
The lively Samuel Eto'o felt he should have been awarded a penalty after he was felled by Anatoliy Tymoshchuk, and young German keeper Thomas Kraft was tested on several occasions, but the German side will begin the second leg at the Allianz Arena firmly in the driver's seat.
The deadlock could have been broken as early as the first minute. After Holger Badstuber had fouled Eto'o, Wesley Sneijder found new signing Ranocchia unmarked in the box only for the defender to miss the target.
Leonardo's men were furious when they were not awarded a penalty despite Tymoshchuk appearing to bring down Eto'o, and captain Javier Zanetti was booked for his protests.
Some fine attacking play by Inter gave Cambiasso the chance from close range just after 20 minutes, but Kraft made himself big to deny the Argentine and the rest of the half was almost all Bayern.
Just two minutes later, Ribery rattled the crossbar with a good header from Robben's fine cross which left Julio Cesar helpless to watch.
The home side were able to test Kraft once more on the counter after Eto'o danced his way around red shirts to force a parry with a wicked left footed effort.
But Ribery and Robben were causing major headaches for the Inter defence with Julio Cesar's box full of headed clearances and lunging blocks.
The second half was an opportunity for both sides to step up their search for what could be a winning goal, but instead petered off into a stop-start period of fouls and frustration.
The dullness of most of the second period was interrupted by more fine work by Ribery, who had cut inside with the ball on 53 minutes, and Robben, who received the Frenchman's pass and fired against Julio Cesar's near post.
Minutes shy of the hour mark, Eto'o once again found room to shoot at Kraft whose parry fell to the feet of Cambiasso.
However, the midfielder inexplicably fired over from close range with nobody but a grounded Kraft in his way.
Kraft kept the Bavarians in it as the full-time whistle grew closer, saving well from both Lucio and the rampant Eto'o, before the Cameroonian saw another effort pinball through a crowded box and fizz just past the far post.
And in the final minute of the game, a Bayern side whose efforts had mostly come from outside the box and straight into the waiting arms of Julio Cesar couldn't believe their luck.
Robben's final speculative drive squirmed from the Brazillian keeper's grasp and fell to Gomez to tap home the winner at the death.
It was the cruel blow for Leonardo's side, but one that could have been avoided if they had taken their earlier chances.
Bayern will defend their one-goal lead in the tie on their home turf, with the second leg scheduled for March 15 at the Allianz Arena.
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@ Gary
the thing is that an italian team should have italian players on it! and what does inter having more italians on the team than bayern have to do with anything? Bayern have german players on it: Schweinsteiger, Badstuber, Lahm, Kraft, Muller, Gomez (yes gomez is a german- spanish player but chose to play for germany), Kroos, Klose, Butt, Diego Contento, Ottl, and Sattelmeier
now i challenge any one to name more than 6 italian players on the inter team
Bayern are not a bad team. Hope they knock inetr out of the champions league.
Bayern were much better!! how they say draw was right result? Bayern were the dominating team, despite last 10 mintues, Inter couldn't get out of their box
mia san mia is so louder in Giuseppe Meazza hahahahahahahahahahaha eat that inter s.h.i.t
passive football is f.u.c.k booooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooring
Hey I enjoyed watching the game. It was well balanced with no one team having an edge over the other. Draw should have been the fairest result. Also liked the good game-spirit as rough tackles were followed by apology and even hugs. The referee is the best we can have in the world. Did not blow whistle unnecessarilly as is done by many refs who behave as if they are paid to destroy rhythm and flow of game. It was trully 'a man's game'.
Inter has more Italians playing for them than Munich does - so where is your stupid Italian logic there? And in any case... who cares... their very name is 'Internazionale.' I'll never understand why idiotic nationalism exists so much in football... especially in Italy...
I want to remind everybody here that inter is not an italian team
they are just using a stadium in italy.......they just parked themselves there
in italy we are extremely ashamed of them..and we hope they move to switzerland or anywhere out of italy
99% of italy has celebrated BAYERN today
please take them in your country
Bayern have one of the best midfield and attack in Europe: Schweinsteiger + Luiz Gustavo, and then the attackers Robben, Ribery, Muller and Gomez. It's not just about "Robbery", people too easily forget Muller and Gomez. If Bayern's defence didn't let them down so often, I'd have fancied them to go toe-to-toe with the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and the English sides without any problem.
Inter and AC..both loss at San Siro..what a shame..
van gaal is the happiest man
u know why?
because the current inter manager is leonardo(weak)
not jose mourinho(superb)
It's official that Italian football now are sucks
Al Bundy you have such a lovely way with words ;)
Inter is total horse S.H.I.T this year they will have there goal pentrated more times than a Prostetutes V.A.G.I.N.A!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bayern will @#$% on you SCRUBBBBBBBBBSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Inter is total horse S.H.I.T this year they will have there goal pentrated more times than a Prostetutes V.A.G.I.N.A!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bayern will @#$% on you SCRUBBBBBBBBBSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Inter is total horse S.H.I.T this year they will have there goal pentrated more times than a Prostetutes V.A.G.I.N.A!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bayern will @#$% on you SCRUBBBBBBBBBSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Inter is total horse S.H.I.T this year they will have there goal pentrated more times than a Prostetutes V.A.G.I.N.A!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bayern will @#$% on you SCRUBBBBBBBBBSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Inter is total horse S.H.I.T this year they will have there goal pentrated more times than a Prostetutes V.A.G.I.N.A!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bayern will @#$% on you SCRUBBBBBBBBBSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Inter is total horse S.H.I.T this year they will have there goal pentrated more times than a Prostetutes V.A.G.I.N.A!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bayern will @#$% on you SCRUBBBBBBBBBSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Inter is total horse S.H.I.T this year they will have there goal pentrated more times than a Prostetutes V.A.G.I.N.A!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bayern will @#$% on you SCRUBBBBBBBBBSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Inter is total horse S.H.I.T this year they will have there goal pentrated more times than a Prostetutes V.A.G.I.N.A!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bayern will @#$% on you SCRUBBBBBBBBBSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
what a match this was! Enjoyed every second of it!
Think that is a little revenge from Bayern and now I think they will get to the quaters now.
Great match to watch, much better than the OM vs Man U bore. It should have ended more like a 3-3 tie rather than with a clumsy goal at the 90th minute, but that's how football goes. Good job by the German club, though I think Internazionale might have deserved a bit more. I will be watching the 2nd leg.
Don't worry AC Milan's keeper fumbled in front of goal against Leeds United once who won 1-0 on the night, these things are normal.
FC Bayern will win. They are in-form having won their last two league matches convincingly. Also Ribery and Robben are playing together for the first time since last year's final in the DFB Pokal (German cup). Bayern also have Mueller and Gomez - goals guaranteed. Inter, get ready to be smashed.
I fancy Bayern to win this time.....nobody is talking about them - why? ....but then nobody ever does.....which is odd considering they're one of the great European clubs, and are coming good now in the bundesliga (3rd) after an indifferent ist half of the season. Don't great teams always pace themselves and come good when it matters? rather than race out of the blocks to a 10 point lead by early October?? ....in fact Bayern could actually go one better this time and win the whole thing. English teams will be too busy looking at what Real and Barca are doing to notice Bayern slipping by past them.
Inter will humble Bayern!
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