Bayern through with victory over Villarreal
Reuters - Tuesday 22 November 2011, 22:35
Bayern Munich
eased past Spain's Villarreal 3-1 on Tuesday with two goals from
Franck Ribery to book their spot in the Champions League
knockout stage as Group A winners.
Frenchman Ribery gave the German hosts a third-minute lead
after a defensive blunder and Mario Gomez added his 14th goal in
his last 11 Champions League games, tapping in from close range
to go top of the scorers' list with six this season.
Jonathan de Guzman scored only the second goal of the
competition for Villarreal when he cut the deficit in the 50th
minute but Ribery made sure of victory with a solo effort 19
minutes later.
"It was very important to secure top spot in the group
early," coach Jupp Heynckes told reporters. "I did not like the
goal we conceded and that meant we had to up the pressure
again."
Bayern, who have now won 10 of their last 11 home games in
the competition, are on 13 points, five ahead of Napoli who
defeated Manchester City 2-1 to move up to second place.
Villarreal have yet to win a point in the competition this
season and have managed a meagre 16 shots on target in five
matches.
"We are proud and happy to have reached our goal with a game
to spare," Gomez told reporters. "As for Franck, he was
outstanding today."
QUICK LEAD
On a foggy and freezing Munich evening, Bayern, who needed
only a point to go through, got off to a dream start.
Carlos Marchena's disastrous pass forward only found
Bayern's Toni Kroos who picked out Frenchman Ribery in the box
for a simple chip over keeper Diego Lopez in the third minute.
Kroos was imperious in midfield, changing pace and
direction, as the Bundesliga leaders Bayern laughed off
Saturday's defeat to champions Borussia Dortmund as well as the
absence of the injured Bastian Schweinsteiger.
Villarreal, missing Giuseppe Rossi, Nilmar and Cani to
injuries, looked dazed and continued to lose possession deep in
their own half, allowing Bayern to tear apart their fragile
defence at almost every attempt.
Dutchman Arjen Robben, in his second game back after
undergoing groin surgery in October, could have added another
goal four minutes later but failed to connect properly from
close range.
It was only a matter of time, however, before Bayern scored
again. Ukraine international Anatoliy Tymoshchuk rattled the
post with a 22-metre missile and the ball fell into the path of
Gomez, who tapped in.
The Spaniards pulled one back with a fine De Guzman volley
from a Joan Oriol far-post cross five minutes after the restart
but Ribery killed off any hopes of a comeback when he rounded
Lopez for his second goal of the evening in the 69th minute
after again being set up by Kroos.
"It was a respectable game and my team should emerge
stronger," said Villarreal coach Juan Carlos Garrido. "It was a
game where things were done well but the result did not reflect
it."