Gol Tunggal Benzema Antar Madrid Tundukkan Munchen
Benzema Gives Hosts the Advantage in Champions League Semi-final
Editor : Ismail Gani
Translator : Novita Cahyadi
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Madrid (B2B) - Karim Benzema mencetak gol tunggal kemenangan Real Madrid 1-0 atas juara bertahan Bayern Munchen pada leg pertama semifinal Liga Champions yang digelar di Santiago Bernabeu, Kamis dini hari ini.
Kendati menjadi tim tamu namun Bayern Munchen justru menguasai pertandingan sejak menit pertama dengan sepakan keras Robben nyaris merobek gawang Madrid pada menit 14, beruntung masih bisa dibendung barisan pertahanan Madrid.
Setelah terjebak offside menit sebelumnya, Benzema mencetak gol pada menit 19 dari serangan balik yang dibangun bek Madrid asal Portugal, Coentrao. Ia menggiring bola dari sisi kiri dan mengumpan kepada Benzema yang berdiri tanpa pengawalan di mulut gawang Munchen, seperti dilansir Yahoo Sports.
Semenit kemudian, Ronaldo berdiri bebas di mulut gawang Manuel Neuer untuk nyaris menggandakan keunggulan Madrid, namun sayang sepakannya melambung tinggi. Menit 23 giliran Angel Di Maria melepaskan sepakan keras dari sudut sempit namun masih digagalkan Manuel Neuer.
Menit 25, Dante nyaris mencetak gol balasan dari tendangan sudut Robben, namun Casillas berhasil menghalaunya. Semenit kemudian, serangan balik Madrid yang dirancang Luca Modric nyaris berbuah gol, sayang sepakan Ronaldo melambung.
Menit 40, Di Maria kembali merepotkan pertahanan Munchen dari dalam kotak penalti namun gagal berbuah gol karena bola justru melambung dan babak pertama pun berakhir 1-0 untuk Madrid.
Pada babak kedua Munchen terus mendominasi lapangan dan pada menit 55 Ribery hampir mencetak gol penyama kedudukan, sayang berhasil ditepis Casillas. Tiga menit kemudian Casillas kembali menyelamatkan gawang Madrid dari sepakan keras Kroos.
Sepuluh menit kemudian Ronaldo nyaris menggandakan skor Madrid namun bola yang mengarah ke sudut kanan gawang Munchen berhasil ditepis Neuer.
Menit 70 Robben kembali merepotkan barisan pertahanan Madrid, namun Sergio Ramos berhasil memblok tendangan pemain sayap asal Belanda ini. Tiga menit kemudian Madrid mengganti dua pemain, Pepe digantikan Varane, dan Ronaldo digantikan Bale.
Dalam kondisi masih tertinggal, Munchen mengganti gelandang Schweinsteiger dan memasukan penyerang Thomas Muller.
Pada 15 menit akhir laga, tempo pertandingan justru menurun. Munchen tetap mendominasi penguasaan bola di lini tengah sementara Madrid terlihat menunggu celah serangan balik.
Menit84 Casillas sukses menggagalkan peluang emas Gotze dari dalam kotak penalti dan hanya menghasilkan tendangan sudut bagi Munchen.
Pada menit akhir laga, Muller nyaris membuat pendukung tuan rumah terdiam namun sepakannya berhasil dihalau Xabi Alonso. Muller dan para pemain Munchen melihat ini pelanggaran tapi wasit jalan terus.
Hingga wasit Howard Webb mengakhiri laga, skor 1-0 kemenangan tuan rumah Madrid tidak berubah.
Uefa.com mencatat Bayern Munchen menguasai 64 persen penguasaan bola, melepaskan 15 tendangan sudut dan 15 tembakan ke gawang Madrid.
Skor 1-0 membuat kedua tim masih berpeluang lolos ke final yang akan ditentukan pada leg kedua yang digelar pekan depan di Allianz Arena, kandang Bayern Munchen.
Madrid - Karim Benzema´s goal gave Real Madrid a 1-0 first-leg victory over title holder Bayern Munich on Wednesday, but the nine-time champions may live to regret the missed chances in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal.
Madrid endured plenty of pressure in the first leg match, but scored from a 19th-minute counter-attack. Cristiano Ronaldo found Fabio Coentrao speeding down the left flank and Benzema steered his low cross past goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.
Ronaldo returned from a left leg injury but missed a number of scoring opportunities before eventually giving way to Gareth Bale, who had started on the bench after battling with ´flu.
Bayern pressed for an equalizer in the closing stages, forcing Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas to deny Mario Goetze in the 84th minute while fellow substitute Thomas Mueller had no better luck with his late effort from inside the area.
But Madrid should have extended its lead ahead of Tuesday´s return leg in Germany, as the team bids to end a three-season semifinal losing streak and reach the final for the first time since winning in 2002.
Atletico Madrid or Chelsea await in the May 24 final in Lisbon, with the pair playing to a scoreless draw in their first-leg match on Tuesday.
Pep Guardiola endured his first loss at the Bernabeu as coach after seven previous visits with Barcelona, and at times the encounter took on the appearance of a "clasico" with Madrid looking to capitalize on the break while the visitors controlled play.
Madrid´s defense did well to contain Bayern in its area and then break quickly, but the Spanish club squandered its other chances after Benzema broke the deadlock.
Ronaldo, who looked uncomfortable at times despite passing a late fitness test, followed up a sharp header at Neuer with a first-time shot from Luka Modric´s perfect pass in the 26th minute — only for his effort to fly high over the top with just the Germany ´keeper to beat.
Madrid dug in and did well to clear many of Bayern´s best opportunities as it controlled three-quarters of possession in the first half. The German champions found space between the lines and combined some swift passing movements, with Franck Ribery picking out Arjen Robben inside the area in the 39th.
But Madrid weathered each buildup before surging forward, with Angel Di Maria gathering a loose ball at the right post only to wildly shoot over Neuer before halftime.
After the break, Neuer had to dive low to keep out Ronaldo´s angled shot after a Bayern defensive mix-up.
Ronaldo forced Neuer into another low save before giving way to Bale, who energized Madrid´s attack with his pace. The Welshman was playing for the first time since his stunning winner in Madrid´s 2-1 victory over Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final.
Guardiola brought on Mueller and Goetze for the final quarter and Mueller nearly equalized with a rising shot in the 81st. A chance then fell to Goetze in the Madrid area but Casillas reacted well to stop the German´s powerful volley.
Bayern had gone 29 matches without scoring coming into the 20th meeting between the storied European rivals, and will still rate its chances of reaching a third straight final with the return leg at home.
