Indonesia
Nigeria
South Africa

5 talking points as Bayern crash out of Champions League at hands of Villarreal

mirror.co.uk, 12 April 2022, 20:59
BAYERN MUNICH 1-1 VILLARREAL (1-2 on aggregate): Substitute Samuel Chukwueze netted the late decisive goal for Unai Emery's side to stun Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals

Villarreal stunned Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-final with Samuel Chukwueze's late goal sending the Spanish side through to the last four at the expense of the German champions.

The Spanish side led 1-0 from the first leg thanks to Arnaut Danjuma's first half goal - in a game which they feared they may have come to regret not winning by more. Francis Coquelin's goal was disallowed in that game over a narrow offside decision while full-back Alfonso Pedraza blazed a glorious late chance wide of target.

The first half in Munich was somewhat of a non-event with the Yellow Submarine entirely snubbing out the attacking threat from the hosts. However, Bayern played with a different intensity and purpose after the break and Lewandowski broke the deadlock in the 49 th minute. However, a direct counter-attack from the visitors in the 89 th minute culminated in Gerard Moreno's threaded ball through to substitute Chukwueze - whose shot beat Manuel Neuer and decided the tie.

Mirror Football looks at the five talking points from a tense, dramatic night in Munich.

Villarreal stun Europe again

The Yellow Submarine won last season's Europa League title having stunned Arsenal and then Manchester United in the latter stages of the competition. They were seventh in La Liga last season and that is their position again - yet their campaign in continental football has been even better.

Unai Emery had shocked Juventus in the Round of 16 and has now gone one better by eliminating Bayern Munich - who many believed to be among the favourites for this competition. This was another European masterclass by the relatively small Spanish club - who continue to make their own history.

Lewandowski record ends

No player has a Champions League record as impressive as Robert Lewandowski. The Poland international had won a competition record 22 consecutive matches in which he had featured for Bayern, prior to the Round of 16 first leg draw away to Salzburg. Last week's loss in Spain was his first loss in 25 games in the competition.

Have Your Say! Can Villarreal win this season's Champions League? Tell us what you think here.

The Poland international marksman was badly missed for Bayern in last season's elimination against Paris Saint-Germain in the last eight - showing how significant he has been for the German champions in recent years. Lewandowski plundered 13 goals in the competition this season and had been aiming to replicate his stunning return of 15 in the successful 2019/20 campaign. He won't be able to match that this time - despite his goal on the night - as he has featured in just one win in his last four in the Champions League after his stunning record.

Bayern go gung-ho

In the absence of Niklas Sule, Bayern opted to play three at the back for this game with Benjamin Pavard and Lucas Hernandez either side of Dayot Upamecano. Full-back Alphonso Davies was left out of the starting line-up, allowing an extra creative player to go up against Villarreal's deep block.

Of their 38 previous games across the Bundesliga and Champions League, Bayern had played four in defence in 31 of those games - with the switch the back three not the conventional setup of Julian Nagelsmann. While it may not be their usual approach, this was very much an adaptation due to their opponent - who played in a 4-4-2 with two deep banks of four to close down any spaces for creativity for the hosts.

This allowed Bayern to field all of Leroy Sane, Thomas Muller, Jamal Musiala and Kingsley Coman behind Robert Lewandowski, while holding midfield duo Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka could also offer an attacking threat - yet they couldn't break down Villarreal.

Clinical Villarreal

All the talk after the first leg in Spain was about Villarreal's stunning performance that sent shockwaves through Europe. It was a superb victory for Emery's side but in reality, their advantage going into this return leg should have been much higher.

That outcome was always going to lead to a long and difficult night in Munich, in which the hosts would inevitably dominate possession and the opportunities with Villarreal knowing they would have to suffer. As Bayern boss Julian Nagelsmann said after that first leg: "They made the mistake of letting us live." As it turned out, Emery's team managed to do just enough over the tie as they became clinical in Germany - scoring from their one shot on target.

Emery the knockout master

Emery won all 12 knockout ties during his tenure at Sevilla, won each of his four at Arsenal and again triumphed in each of the four for Villarreal last season. The caveat to that was that each of those ties was in the Europa League, with Emery's only previous Champions League experience being the underwhelming Paris Saint-Germain stint.

Yet the Spaniard guided Villarreal to the Round of 16 victory over Juventus, easing past the Italian club 4-1 on aggregate, before masterminding the first leg victory in Spain last week. Excluding that spell in Paris, Emery has now won 22 two-legged knockout ties across Sevilla, Arsenal and Villarreal - with this achievement his finest yet.

Top News

2 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly joined the race to sign AC Milan defender and ex-Chelsea man Fikayo Tomori as Ange Postecoglou seeks solutions to his side's defensive crisis. 2 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Having endured a rough end to 2024, Moreirense and AVS will both be hopeful of improved fortunes in the new year as they kick off 2025 with a meeting at Parque de Jogos Comendador Joaquim de Almeida Freitas on Saturday. 2 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United are supposedly giving consideration to an audacious swap deal involving wantaway striker Marcus Rashford and Napoli frontman Victor Osimhen. 2 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold has reportedly made two demands of the Reds if he is to snub Real Madrid and sign a new deal at Anfield. 2 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Lyon and Montpellier HSC lock horns for the 60th time in Ligue 1 on Saturday, with the hosts seeking a 30th win against their upcoming opponents. 2 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Preston North End are set to welcome Oxford United on Saturday to Deepdale in their 26th Championship game of the season. 2 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Brentford manager Thomas Frank remains without three of his first-choice central defenders ahead of their trip to Southampton in the Premier League on Saturday. 2 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Benfica and Braga are in action for the first time in the new year when they go head to head at the Estadio da Luz in round 17 of the Primeira Liga on Saturday. 2 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk If Fulham are to lose Andreas Pereira either this month or in the summer transfer window amid links with Marseille, the Cottagers could take a quick look across the English capital for a natural replacement for the Brazilian. 2 January 2025 talksport.com Real Madrid Carlo Ancelotti has kept his cards close to his chest regarding the club's pursuit of Liverpool ace Trent Alexander-Arnold. 2 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk The only team yet to taste defeat in the Turkish Super Lig, Galatasaray, will welcome one of the season's surprise packages, Goztepe SK, to Rams Park on Saturday in what promises to be an intriguing encounter. 2 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Two sides at opposite ends of the Turkish Super Lig table will go head-to-head when Samsunspor welcome Trabzonspor to the Samsun 19 May Stadium on Saturday. 2 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Real Madrid will be aiming to move to the top of the La Liga table when they head to Valencia on Friday night. 2 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee has reportedly fallen out with Red Devils head coach Ruben Amorim, with the Dutchman moving closer to the exit door at Old Trafford. 2 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti has addressed suggestions that his club could make a second offer for Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold before the end of the January transfer window. 2 January 2025 talksport.com Ashley Cole has opened up about the painful circumstances surrounding his controversial departure from Arsenal in 2006. 2 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Enzo Maresca is set to recall the five players who dropped out of his Chelsea side at Ipswich Town last week when they travel to Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace on Saturday in the Premier League. 2 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi will return to face his former club Chelsea when the two lock horns at Selhurst Park in the Premier League on Saturday. 2 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford has reportedly rejected three offers worth in the region of £35m a year to leave Old Trafford. 2 January 2025 talksport.com A cheeky grin from Arsenal star Gabriel Magalhaes was all it took to rub further salt into Tottenham's gaping wounds. 2 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Wojciech Szczesny is in line to make his debut for Barcelona in Saturday's Copa del Rey last-32 clash with Barbastro. 2 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City expert Steven McInerney from Esteemed Kompany feels that Phil Foden is at risk of being benched by Pep Guardiola for Saturday's Premier League clash with West Ham United at the Etihad Stadium. 2 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona will be bidding to avoid what would be one of the biggest shocks in the history of the Copa del Rey when they take on fourth-tier outfit Barbastro in the last-32 stage of the 2024-25 tournament on Saturday evening. 2 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City expert Steven McInerney from Esteemed Kompany has suggested that "the penny might have finally dropped" for Pep Guardiola regarding his use of James McAtee as a first-team player. 2 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-min should continue his career in North London despite entering the last six months of his contract, ex-Spurs goalkeeper Kasey Keller has told Sports Mole. 2 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Adana Demirspor will aim to carry forward the momentum from the end of last year as they host Istanbul Basaksehir at the New Adana Stadium on Saturday in a Round 18 Turkish Super Lig fixture. 2 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea will look to improve on an awful end to 2024 when they travel to Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace in their first Premier League game of the new year on Saturday. 2 January 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Atletico Madrid will be aiming to make it 13 wins in a row in all competitions when they take on third-tier outfit Marbella in the last-32 stage of the Copa del Rey on Saturday night. 2 January 2025 talksport.com Martin Keown is a household name in English football but it turns out we've been saying his name wrong for decades. 2 January 2025 talksport.com Rodri has spoken out after Cristiano Ronaldo questioned his Ballon d'Or triumph.