Roma lost 2-0 to Bayern Munich in a fairly even match and remain second thanks to CSKA Moscow’s shock win over Manchester City.
Roma lost 2-0 to Bayern Munich in a fairly even match and remain second thanks to CSKA Moscow’s shock win over Manchester City.
The Russian side, who lost 5-1 in the opening game to the Giallorossi, surprisingly celebrated a 2-1 victory at the Etihad with Fernandinho and Yaya Toure sent off. The Germans have already qualified with a 100 per cent record.
It also means if Roma win in Moscow and City fail to beat Bayern, the Italians will be qualified a round early.
Following the 7-1 demolition job at the Olimpico, Rudi Garcia made sweeping changes to his line-up, resting the likes of Francesco Totti, Gervinho, Miralem Pjanic and Morgan De Sanctis, while Douglas Maicon, Davide Astori, Leandro Castan and Kevin Strootman were injured. Arjen Robben was a last-minute absentee due to a stomach bug, missing out with Bastian Schweinsteiger, Pepe Reina, Tom Starke, Javi Martinez, Thiago Alcantara and Holger Badstuber.
Vasilis Torosidis was decisive when diving in to block a Juan Bernat strike inside the penalty area, while Mattia Destro hesitated in a promising opportunity when he sprung the offside trap.
Lukasz Skorupski spilled a Mario Gotze effort, but was right behind Philip Lahm’s snapshot. Radja Nainggolan sprung the offside trap and went down as Manuel Neuer came tearing out at his feet, but the referee waved play on.
Alessandro Florenzi sprained his right ankle on the turf after 27 minutes, but was able to continue.
David Alaba’s free kick whipped past the far post, just missing Mehdi Benatia’s head, though the first half provided few real scoring opportunities.
If the objective in Munich was to show that 7-1 was not an accurate gap between the two teams, then the first half performance certainly did that, as it was quite even.
The hosts did take the lead when Alaba sprung the offside trap down the left after a Torosidis error and pulled back for Franck Ribery to side-foot in off the far post.
Ashley Cole replaced Jose Holebas for the second half and Alaba nodded a Rafinha cross over the bar, but Florenzi did have to go off after falling on his ankle again.
Bayern did get their second, as Lewandowski burst down the left and his cross was volleyed softly over Skorupski by Gotze from seven yards.
Moments later Juan Iturbe had a good chance to pull one back, but his first touch was poor and Neuer smothered at his feet, then Lahm blasted over from close range. Skorupski rushed off his line to close down Xherdan Shaqiri’s flick and Alaba turned a free kick over.
Neuer required a sensational double save to stop Roma getting on the scoresheet. First he used his leg to deny Gervinho from close range, then got back up immediately and leapt to palm Nainggolan’s screamer out of the far top corner.
Bayern Munich 2-0 Roma
Scorers: Ribery 38 (B), Gotze 64 (B)
Bayern Munich: Neuer; Rafinha, Benatia, Boateng, Alaba (Rode 80); Lahm (Hojberg 88), Xabi Alonso (Shaqiri 71), Bernat, Ribery, Gotze, Lewandowski
Roma: Skorupski; Torosidis, Manolas, Yanga-Mbiwa, Holebas (Cole 46); De Rossi, Keita, Nainggolan; Florenzi (Pjanic 57), Destro, Iturbe (Gervinho 74)
Ref: Cakir (TUR)