TheDailySoccerNews.com

Bayern Munich clinched a controversial 2-1 win over 10-man Fiorentina at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday night to give them a slender advantage going into the second leg of their Champions League tie in Italy in a fortnight’s time.

Arjen Robben put the Bundesliga side ahead with a penalty on the stroke of half time, but Per Kroldrup gave Fiorentina a deserved equaliser five minutes into the second half.

Referee Tom Henning Ovrebro, who led the controversial semi-final between Barcelona and Chelsea last season, then harshly sent Massimo Gobbi off for an innocuous tackle before allowing Miroslav’s Klose to remain on the field for a much more dangerous challenge.

To rub salt into the Fiorentina wounds, it was Klose who nodded in the winner while clearly offside.

Given their recent Serie A form and the fact Bayern have won their last 12 games, Fiorentina came into the game as clear underdogs.

But rather than build a wall in front of their goal, Fiorentina surprised Bayern with their early enterprise, putting the Bundesliga side under a lot of pressure for the first quarter of the game.

Alberto Gilardino put the pressure on Daniel van Buyten, who tried to shepherd the ball back to Hans-Jorg Butt but was almost caught out by the Fiorentina striker, leaving Butt no choice but to send the ball out of play.

Mario Gomez had Bayern’s only chance of the first half in the 13th minute when he shot straight at Sebastien Frey from a tight angle.

At the other end, Gilardino beat the offside trap to break free, but he was a bit slow in his progress and slipped inside the penalty area, allowing Holger Badstuber to get back and put the ball behind for a corner.

Cesare Natali should have put the Viola ahead in the 18th minute when he came in around the back to meet Juan Vargas’ free-kick, but he lacked the conviction to put the ball into the open goal.

Having weathered the early storm and come to terms with what they were actually up against, Bayern started to attack themselves with Franck Ribery testing Frey with a low shot from 25 yards which was an easy save for his compatriot.

Arjen Robben then lifted a neat ball over for Thomas Muller, who touched the ball through Natali’s legs before falling to the ground, but he did not even claim a penalty.

Nor did Ribery on the stroke of half time, but he got one, even though he would have preferred not to.

The Frenchman went to ground in the area under the pressure of Kroldrup, but the ball fell free for Gomez, who stroked it into the goal. However, Ovrebro had already pointed to the spot.

Robben stepped up to ensure Bayern still went in at the break ahead, coolly sending Frey the wrong way from the spot.

Kroldrup gained his personal revenge for the penalty decision five minutes into the second half when he brought Fiorentina level.

He found himself in the right place at the right time to tuck the ball in when Vargas met Marco Marchionni’s corner with a weak effort.

Bayern raised the tempo again with Robben at the heart of everything, but they could not find a way through the now massed ranks of Fiorentina defenders.

Ovrebro then assisted the home side by showing an inexplicable red card at Gobbi for merely obstructing Robben.

Minutes later, the Norwegian official only showed yellow to Miroslav Klose when he lunged at Felipe with a dangerous two-footed challenge right under the nose of the linesman.

But the worst error on the part of the officials was still to come.

As the game looked to be heading for a draw, Ovrebro allowed Klose’s headed goal in the last minute to stand despite the fact the Germany international was at least two yards offside when he received the ball from Ivica Olic.
Butt: 6 – Put Van Buyten in trouble early on against Gilardino by not coming out to claim the ball, but other than that didn’t have too many dangerous moments. Did have to be alert from a couple of long-range efforts though.
Player Ratings
Lahm: 6 – Not as dynamic as he’d have liked, and generally unable to shake off the rampaging Vargas until Bayern took over late on.

Van Buyten: 5.5 – Caught on the back foot on more than one occasion by the lively Gilardino. Replaced by Contento at the interval.

Demichelis: 6 – Looked in danger when Gilardino and Marchionni knocked the ball either side of him, but this became less of an issue as he was left isolated late on during Bayern’s spell of constant attacks.

Badstuber: 6 – Committed a needless foul on Marchionni which almost led to a goal from Natali, but looked more comfortable when he switched to centre-half after the break.

Robben: 7.5 – Had a field day running at Gobbi, and played one particularly brilliant chipped pass into the path of Mueller. Should have done better when teed up by Mueller in the second half, but for the most part was the architect as Bayern took it to the Viola late on.

Schweinsteiger: 6 – Sat in the centre of midfield and allowed the other attacking players the freedom to do their stuff. Almost anonymous towards the end as Bayern were rampant.

Van Bommel: 6.5 – Lucky to escape without a red card for his crazy two-footed challenge on Montolivo. Often the starting point of Bayern attacks, but couldn’t provide the killer pass to set up a game-changing moment.

Ribery: 6.5 – Had less success than his wing partner Robben, but did earn the penalty when he came inside and ran at Kroldrup. Came alive towards the end as Bayern pushed for a first leg advantage.

Mueller: 5.5 – Didn’t have quite the impact he, or Bayern, would have hoped. Phased out of the game for the most part and should have done better from Robben’s clever chipped pass.

Gomez: 6 – Didn’t have a barrel-load of chances, and was left with the odd snatched shot from outside of the box in the first half. But it was his great bit of skill which set up the move for the opening goal.

Subs:

Contento: 7 – An excellent half-time addition, providing important cover as De Silvestri and Jovetic closed in on goal whilst also getting down the left at will.

Olic: 6.5 – It was his effort which fell for the offside Klose to tap in the winner, but had wasted a couple of chances before then.

Klose: 6 – Quickly picked up a yellow card for a dangerous foul on Kroldrup, but it was his finish from three yards offside which will grab all the headlines.

FIORENTINA

Frey: 6.5 – Though he didn’t have to make too many point blank saves, he did have to help out his backline with great command of his area as he claimed cross after cross during Bayern’s long spells on the attack. Very unlucky to concede the late winner.

De Silvestri: 6.5 – Looked like he had Ribery’s number in the opening moments. He was caused more problems as the game went on, but stood up to the Frenchman for the most part.

Natali: 6.5 – Fluffed one great chance at the back post from Vargas’ dangerous free kick. Not up to this level, and certainly not up to having Arjen Robben running at him time and again, but he was one of a number of heroes late on as Bayern battered the Viola goalmouth in search of a winner.

Kroldrup: 6 – Looked short on answers as Bayern ran at the heart of Fiorentina and conceded the penalty when he brought down Ribery. But he redeemed himself when taking advantage of a lucky break to slot home the equaliser.

Gobbi: 5 – Got forward well early on, but spent most of the game being terrorized by Robben. Spent the last 16 minutes in the bath after being harshly adjudged to have slung an arm at the Dutchman.

Montolivo: 8 – Spurned a decent chance on his left foot, but was largely superb as he put in one of his best shifts of the season, often driving forward to ask countless questions of the home side.

Bolatti: 7.5 – Excellent in the midfield, keeping things ticking over and giving Montolivo the licence to roam on the ball. Also provided superb cover time and again as Fiorentina became increasingly stretched at the back.

Marchionni: 6.5 – Put in a great shift on the right hand side, combining regularly with Jovetic, Gilardino and Montolivo. Definitely back on form after early season struggles.

Jovetic: 7.5 – His tricky and vision kept Bayern on the back foot, and his invention was almost enough to beat them. Some magnificent pieces of skill created chances for Gilardino and Vargas, Also inadvertently picked up an assist on Kroldrup’s goal. Withdrawn as a consequence of Gobbi’s dismissal.

Vargas: 6.5 – His pace and directness caused Lahm to spend much of the game back-pedalling, it was just a shame his rocket left foot misfired at times, and he was left to play emergency left-back towards the end.

Gilardino: 6.5 – Slipped when clean through in the area with the Viola’s best chance of the opening half. Put in a great performance as the lone striker, but his goal drought continues.

Subs:

Felipe: NA – Brought on to help the Alamo-style defensive effort after Gobbi saw red.

Donadel: NA – A late replacement for Montolivo.

Pasqual: NA – Brought on for Natali late on to boost the Viola defence.