Bayern Feel Cheated - Kalle Rummenigge

Rummenigge 

Bayern Munich feel "cheated" after some tight decisions allowed Atletico Madrid to advance from their Champions League semifinal, chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said.

Playing at home on Tuesday, Bayern won the second leg on Tuesday 2-1 but Atletico advanced thanks to Antoine Griezmann's away goal.

It was a classic counter-attack as Fernando Torres sent Griezmann racing through and the France international, played onside by David Alaba, kept his cool to whip the ball past Manuel Neuer.

Rummenigge said he believed Griezmann was offside when Torres released him through on goal, and also took issue with a penalty given to Atletico that Torres ended up missing.

"We feel a little bit cheated," the CEO said after the game. "The Atletico goal was offside, the foul for the penalty [which Atletico missed] was outside of the box.

"The referee had two matches in the last seven days. I don't know whether those UEFA guys can have too many matches, too. The UEFA delegate told me: 'It's a shame what he did.'"

Bayern midfielder Arturo Vidal insisted his side were still the better team, but the Chilean was left to rue missed opportunities to overturn the scoreline in the second half.

"I don't know why the ball did not want to go in ... with so many chances created in both legs," Vidal said. "I think we were superior in both games. We controlled possession, but didn't seize it.

"They take their opportunities well, and that's why they move into the final. From here to the final they will dream with us. They faced the best team in the world.

Bayern now turn their attention to securing the Bundesliga, where they enjoy a five-point lead over Dortmund with two rounds remaining. They will also face Dortmund in the DFB Pokal final on May 21.

"We are left sad, but we still have two titles that we hope to win. We are still the best team in the world, but sometimes the best doesn't always win," Vidal said.

"Football is sometimes like this. Today the best didn't advance, they were eliminated."

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Bayern Stumble Past Juventus

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Bayern Munich battled back from two goals down then scored twice in extra time to beat Juventus 4-2 and reach the Champions League last eight with a 6-4 aggregate victory.

Thiago Alcântara drilled in after 108 minutes and Kingsley Coman curled in their fourth goal two minutes later as Bayern, who needed a 90th-minute equaliser from Thomas Müller to force extra time, kept up their treble hopes.

In a reverse of the first leg when Juve came back from a two-goal deficit to draw 2-2, Bayern scored twice in the second half. It was a bitter defeat for last season’s runners-up, Juve, who ran out of steam in extra time to leave domestic titles as their only potential silverware this season.

Robert Lewandowski headed in at the far post to reignite the home side’s hopes and trigger a dramatic finale in which Müller scored in almost identical fashion. Thiago came off the bench to put Bayern in front after a delightful interchange with Müller and his fellow substitute Coman, who had crossed for Müller’s equaliser at the end of normal time, completed a memorable comeback win. Coman is on loan from Juventus but there is no clause preventing him from playing against them.

The hosts had a golden chance after two minutes when Douglas Costa sent the former Juve player Arturo Vidal through but the Chilean’s poor first touch allowed Gianluigi Buffon to save. It was the Bianconeri who drew first blood with Paul Pogba capitalising on a David Alaba mistake to beat Manuel Neuer.

Bayern, who had not let in a first-half goal in their previous seven games in the competition, were rattled and Neuer almost gifted another goal after sending the ball straight to Álvaro Morata, whose looping effort was ruled offside. Morata, however, made a 40-metre run past four Bayern players to send Juan Cuadrado through for their second goal.

Bayern showed their first signs of life just before the break when Müller’s effort was saved by Buffon and the ball rolled narrowly wide from a Robert Lewandowski deflection. But Juve, who have let in only one goal in 12 Serie A matches this year, remained solid at the back and kept taking stabs at the shaky Bayern defence, Morata coming close again on the hour.

The Poland striker Lewandowski headed in at the far post for his eighth goal of the campaign in the 73rd minute, before Müller followed suit to set up the extra time.

The win means Pep Guardiola maintained his hopes of a Champions League title in his last season in Munich.

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Juventus Comeback Stuns Bayern

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Juventus came from two goals down to earn a 2-2 home draw in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie with Bayern Munich.

Goals from Thomas Müller and Arjen Robben either side of half-time looked to have put Bayern in control of the tie. But Paulo Dybala pulled one back and the substitute Stefano Sturaro equalised to ensure Juventus will go into the second leg on 16 March with optimism.

The pre-match team news focused on both team’s defences, with Juve switching to a back four in the absence of Giorgio Chiellini while injury-hit Bayern paired the inexperienced Joshua Kimmich with the versatile David Alaba in the centre. The full-back Philipp Lahm made his 100th Champions League appearance.

Mario Mandzukic scuffed an early shot for Juve before, at the other end, a rather better-struck 25-yard volley from Arturo Vidal was beaten away by Gianluigi Buffon. Mandzukic stretched to reach strike partner Dybala’s cross but could only divert the ball over the bar.

Bayern missed an extraordinary opportunity in the 13th minute when Lahm cut the ball into the box and Robert Lewandowski drew the keeper but squared the ball behind Müller, who could not get the ball out of his feet and his weak shot was cleared off the line by Leonardo Bonucci.

Vidal got away with a possible handball when Paul Pogba stabbed the ball into the Bayern area.

Robben fired over from the right side of the penalty area before Müller was again unable to bring the ball under control in the box.

Buffon fumbled Juan Bernat’s innocuous shot but Bonucci scrambled the ball away, and Robben then headed Douglas Costa’s corner wide.

Bayern continued to dominate, though, and it told before half-time as Costa’s volleyed cross deflected off Andrea Barzagli and Müller stroked home.

Massimiliano Allegri sent on Hernanes for Claudio Marchisio at half-time but the desired impact was not forthcoming as Robben made it 2-0 10 minutes into the second period. Thiago Alcântara’s pass sparked a three-man breakaway and Lewandowski, who got away with a foul on Bonucci in the buildup, used Müller as a decoy and fed the winger, who cut inside and curled a left-foot shot around Bonucci and Buffon.

Dybala saw a free-kick deflected over the bar but the Bayern pressure kept coming and Lewandowski sent a diving header wide.

Out of nowhere, though, Juve pulled a goal back when Kimmich’s error presented the ball to Mandzukic and he slid it through for Dybala to take a touch and finish.

Mandzukic was fortunate to escape punishment after twice pushing his head towards Lewandowski as the two squared up but it did not disrupt Juve’s new-found rhythm, Juan Cuadrado denied by Manuel Neuer’s fingertips and Pogba curling just over.

Allegri sent on Sturaro in the 69th minute and Alvaro Morata in the 75th and these changes paid off immediately, as Morata headed Mandzukic’s pass nicely across the six-yard box for a lunging Sturaro to finish via the crossbar.

Barzagli cleared Robben’s cross away from Lewandowski and when Muller delivered from the other side, it was just too far in front of the Poland striker. Mehdi Benatia then headed over from Thiago’s corner.

Bonucci’s shot was straight at Neuer and the Bayern substitute Franck Ribery, who on Sunday returned from 11 months out, was unable to pick out Lewandowski as the match finished with no further score.

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Klopp in Lewandowski Real Chase - Beckenbauer

Honorary Bayern Munich president Franz Beckenbauer stated in a column for German news agency DPA that Robert Lewandowski could soon join Real Madrid. "Lewandowski was already mentioned as a possible Real Madrid target", said the 'Kaiser'." 

Thomas Müller, on the other hand, has already made it clear that he's staying at Bayern, which has made the fans love him even more", he added.

Beckenbauer is predicting a very active transfer market in what remains of January, given Premier League clubs' ever-growing financial muscle and the fact that Real Madrid and Atlético's transfer bans mean they will in theory be unable to make moves in the next two transfer windows because of irregularities linked to signing young players.

Meabwhile, Jürgen Klopp, the Liverpool manager, is also hoping he can convince Lewandowski to reject any approach from Real Madrid and get the former Borussia Dortmund striker to join him at Anfield.

Following months of speculation over the 27-year-old's the Bayern Munich president confirmed that Manchester United and Chelsea are also understood to be monitoring the situation.

Lewandowski has managed to score 23 goals in 26 appearances in all competitions this season and Klopp is deperate for Lewandowski to join him on Merseyside. However, with Champions League football looking increasingly unlikely next season the deal would represent a massive coup should Klopp and the club manage to pull it off.

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Bayern Munich Top for Christmas

Bayern Munich made sure they will go into the Bundesliga winter break in top spot after beating promoted Ingolstadt to bounce back from their first league defeat.

Second-half goals from Robert Lewandowski and Philipp Lahm lifted Bayern, who lost to Borussia Mönchengladbach last week, on to 43 points, eight ahead of Borussia Dortmund, who play Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday, with one more match left before the one-month break. The Bavarians, who won the league 17 times out of the previous 20 they had finished top at the halfway mark, struggled for more than an hour against the gutsy visitors.

Without the injured wingers Franck Ribéry and Arjen Robben it was captain Lahm who went close, failing to beat Ramazan Ozcan in a one-on-one early in the second-half as Bayern upped the tempo. Lewandowski was also denied by Ozcan, but the Poland forward latched on to a defence-splitting pass from Jérôme Boateng in the 65th minute and flicked the ball past the keeper and in off the post for his 15th goal of the season.

Lahm made amends for his earlier miss, drilling in Bayern’s second goal from a Thomas Müller assist 10 minutes later.

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Borussia Glad to beat Bayern

Borussia Mönchengladbach struck three times in 14 minutes in the second half to floor Bayern Munich 3-1 and inflict the champions’ first Bundesliga defeat of the season.

Oscar Wendt put the hosts ahead in the 54th minute and quick goals from Lars Stindl and Fabian Johnson knocked out Bayern, who looked stunned after winning 13 of their 14 league games in a record-breaking start to the campaign.

Franck Ribéry scored on his comeback after an eight-month injury break but the Frenchman’s 81st-minute goal came too late to turn the game around.

Gladbach stretched their unbeaten run under André Schubert to 10 league games and climbed to third on 26 points. Bayern are top on 40, eight ahead of Borussia Dortmund, who take on VfL Wolfsburg later on Saturday.

Bayern, repeatedly caught napping at the back and lacking their usual pace on the wings with Arjen Robben and Douglas Costa out injured, were still the better side in the first half. Robert Lewandowski connected with a superb Philipp Lahm through ball in the 18th minute and Thomas Müller had a shot on goal but Yann Sommer was well placed to save both efforts.

Pep Guardiola’s side kept up the pressure and Kingsley Coman hit the post with a low drive in the 25th minute.

Gladbach, however – in sensational form under Schubert since a five-game losing start – refused to buckle and hit the champions on the break, Raffael combining beautifully with Wendt and the Swede curling a low shot past Manuel Neuer.

Julian Korb came agonisingly close to a second goal but Neuer, at full stretch, kicked the ball on to the bar. Stindl, however, was given far too much space in the box and he volleyed in on 66 minutes as the game tipped firmly in the hosts’ favour.

Johnson beat the offside trap, with defender Jérôme Boateng caught out, two minutes later before Ribéry scored a consolation for Bayern.

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VW Reviews Fussball Sponsorship

Bundesliga clubs Hannover 96, Werder Bremen and Schalke 04 as well as the second division 1860 Munich are on the list of sponsorships Volkswagen AG is considering dropping to cut costs amid its emissions scandal, according to reports in Bild am Sonntag.

Volkswagen, Europe’s largest carmaker, is battling the biggest business crisis in its 78-year history after admitting in September it installed software in diesel vehicles to deceive US regulators about the true level of their toxic emissions.

On Friday, it cut €1bn (£701m) from its 2016 investment plan, as its emissions cheating scandal expanded to include tens of thousands more US vehicles.

Auto analysts say the company could face a bill as high as €35bn for fines, lawsuits and vehicle refits.

According to Bild am Sonntag, Volkswagen spends about €1.5m per season on each of the football clubs it could now cut from its sponsorship list. 

In addition, Volkswagen may drop its €5m-a-year sponsorship of the ice hockey club Grizzlys Wolfsburg, the paper said.

Volkswagen said football was a major pillar of its sponsoring strategy that it would continue to pursue in the future. “It has not yet been decided what the volume of that will be,” it said in a statement on Sunday.

Last month, VfL Wolfsburg said it had postponed plans for a new multimillion-euro youth training centre after VW’s emissions scandal.

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Sweden Take Home Advantage

Emil Forsberg scored one goal and won a penalty that Zlatan Ibrahimovic converted before Denmark’s Nicolai Jorgensen snatched a late goal to leave the Euro 2016 play-off delicately balanced as Sweden won the first leg 2-1.

The game exploded into life on the stroke of half-time when the winger Forsberg swept Mikael Lustig’s pass beyond Kasper Schmeichel in Denmark’s goal. The crowd had barely taken their seats at the start of the second period when Forsberg was upended by Thomas Kahlenberg after a surging run into the box and Sweden’s captain Ibrahimovic thundered home the resulting spot-kick.

Denmark, who failed to score in their final three group games, created few chances until the substitute Jorgensen stole in at the far post to poke the ball home in the 80th minute and throw his side a lifeline.

With the outside of Stockholm’s Friends Arena lit up in the red, white and blue colours of the French flag, a minute’s silence for the victims of Friday’s Paris attacks was observed before the game. Both sides also wore black armbands in memory of the 129 people who died.

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In a game billed as a clash between the rival strikers Ibrahimovic and Nicklas Bendtner, the more direct approach of the Swedes paid dividends while the Danes put on a remarkably flat performance until their late goal.

Ibra’s strike partner Marcus Berg wasted a number of early chances although Bendtner could have put Denmark ahead before Forsberg’s goal when he steered an effort just wide.

Denmark dominated the last 10 minutes but could not find an equaliser. The second leg is in Copenhagen on Tuesday with the winners securing a place in the finals in France.

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