By Ollie Irish
Oops upside Nani’s head
Scores on my doors:
MAN UTD
Edwin van der Sar – Magnificent in the first leg, not quite so good at OT. Made a couple of fine saves but should have done better for Olic’s goal. No chance to save Robben’s winner though. 6
Rafael – Excellent (8) until he was sent off, albeit a tad harshly. No doubt the red card changed the game, so can’t give him more than a 4
Rio Ferdinand – Where was he for Olic’s goal? Looks way short of his world-class form of recent seasons – he struggled in the air and on the ground. It’s a worry for Fergie and Capello. 5
Nemanja Vidic – Played to the limits of the laws as usual. A solid first half but increasingly ragged as United tired with ten men. And he went missing for Olic’s goal too. 5
Patrice Evra – Difficult to criticise Evra because he’s been United’s most consistent player this season, but he did look very tired last night. Deserves a break. 5
Michael Carrick – Knocked on the head and then knocked off the ball by Olic for Bayern’s opening goal. He was anonymous in the second half. A night to forget. 4
Darron Gibson – Sneaky finish to open United’s account, but should have done much better when presented with another great chance to hit the target. His influence waned – he lacks the zip to match more dynamic midfielders – and he was taken off, probably 15mins too late. 5
Darren Fletcher – Fletch got stuck in as usual but he struggled to cope with Van Bommel and co. in the second half. 6
Antonio Valencia – Terrific in the first half, when he tormented Badstuber and set up both Nani’s goals. Lost his way in the second half, but still one of United’s best performers. 6
Nani – A watershed performance. Worked his ass off, scored twice, unrecognizable from the Nani of old. So good in tight spots but Bayern double- and triple-teamed him in the second half. United’s best player, comfortably. 8
Wayne Rooney – His mere presence contributed to United’s electric start, but he should not have started and it was absolutely no surprise that he pulled up in the first half. He needs to listen to his body more. In that respect, he’s still immature. 5
Subs – John O’Shea added some bulk at the back, Ryan Giggs made little impact, Dimitar Berbatov hardly touched the ball (not really his fault as his team-mates were knackered by then).
* * * * *
BAYERN MUNICH
Hans-Jorg Butt – Had a shocker in the first half but settled eventually. Asleep for Gibson’s opener. 5
Philipp Lahm – Invisible in the first half, highly visible after the break when he pushed up. A game of two halves for the ickle right-back. 6
Martin Demichelis – The masked man had a shaky first half – he was on the back foot for most of it. Had a much easier ride after United lost Rafael. 6
Daniel Van Buyten – See Demichelis. Same story. 6
Holger Badstuber – Owned by Valencia in the opening exchanges. Relaxed in the second half as he had much less work to do. Looks a limited player. 5
Mark van Bommel – One of his more disciplined performances. Reliable and composed throughout. 7
Bastian Schweinsteiger – Grew into the game. Overall was Bayern’s most influential player. Execellent work rate, intelligent use of the ball. 8
Thomas Muller – Taken off at half-time (for Mario Gomez) as Van Gaal looked to put United on the back foot. Made no real impact. 5
Arjen Robben – Visibly frustrated by events in the first half, then shifted into top gear against United’s ten men. Superb in the second half, his winning strike was a peach. 8
Franck Ribery – Marked out of the game by Rafael. Of course, when the Brazilian was sent off… you see where this is going. Got the assist for Robben’s goal. Not a vintage display but was a serious threat in the second half. 7
Ivica Olic – Has increased his market value considerably during this tie. Big, strong, willing, composed under pressure. Could see him doing well in the Prem. 7
Subs – Mario Gomez was a useful weapon in the air. Hamit Altintop and Danijel Pranjic proved reliable enough as Bayern closed the game out.