Match day Two: 2012/2013 Bayern Munch 2 1999/2000 Lazio 0

2012/2013 Bayern Munch 2               1999/2000 Lazio  0
(Mandzukic 58', Muller 70')



From a position of complete control at halftime in the first leg, Lazio had conspired to hand Bayern a route back into the tie via two away goals in the final twenty minutes. It was a lifeline that the German giants grasped and never let go of and in this return leg in Bavaria they were less than gracitious hosts, hogging the ball and never giving the visitors time or space to play their game.

Indeed, but for the heroics of Marchegiani the result would have been much uglier for the Italians. Like Horatio at the bridge he defended, seemingly alone the Roman goal. He was called into action in the sixth minute when Mandzukic used his height to head a Ribery cross on goal and again on ten minutes when Muller flashed a shot in from the edge of the box. Bayern were totally dominant and pressing with the same aggression that had garnered them those two precious late goals at the Olympico.  

The Lazio defence creaked, bent but held and on twenty minutes the mustered their first chance in attack. Juan Sebastian Veron found space on the edge of the German box but fizzed his shot wide. It was to be the only chance for Manuel Neuer to get his knees dirty in the half.

Bayern pressure continued and the Lazio resistance was increasingly desperate. On thirty two minutes Mandzukic hit the post with his shot with Marchegiani routed to the spot. The rebound fell to Muller but the German's shot was too close to the keeper and Marchgiani was able to push the ball away. History repeated ten minutes later, Mandzukic again fired on goal, Marchegiani this time clawed the ball away but straight at Muller but the normally sure-shot striker blazed over the bar when it seemed harder not to score.

Halftime arrived with the score somehow still level and perhaps the Lazio fans could dare to hope that the Bavarian storm had blown itself out after an 8-1 shot differential. If so, they were to be swiftly disappointed. The second half was much like the first. The pressure built on the Lazio goal, the biancoceleste shirts fell deeper and deeper and could not keep hold of the ball long enough to give Salas and Mancini a chance to test the opposition defense. Nedved was a complete non-factor and even the combative Simone was over matched by the double act of Martinez and Schweinsteiger.

Two minutes before the hour mark, Bayern finally moved ahead for the first time in the tie. Ribery again found space and put a cross into the box and Mandzukic once more used his aerial dominance to climb above Nesta and head past Marchegiani.

Now having to chance to game, Lazio began to gamble and push forward. Three minutes after the Mandzukic goal, Salas hit the post with their best chance of the match. The game became stretched, Bayern found space to counter attack and on seventy minutes, with Lazio caught up field, Robben was brought down as he bore down into the box on the break. The penalty was coolly slotted away by Muller and Bayern were through. Lazio will look back on those away goals as the difference but the final shot differential in this tie was 14-2. The best team clearly won.