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Sorry - this page has been removed. Bayern Munich’s Xabi Alonso sent off in fiery Shakhtar Donetsk stalemate
(4 months later)
This could be because it launched early, our rights have expired, there was a legal issue, or for another reason. Bayern Munich were held to a goalless draw by Shakhtar Donetsk in their Champions League last-16 first leg, with the German side reduced to 10 men by the second-half sending-off of Xabi Alonso.
Alonso, who was making his 100th Champions League appearance, was dismissed with 25 minutes remaining after a second booking from the Spanish referee Alberto Undiano Mallenco. The sending-off was one of a number of flashpoints in a game undermined by a number of niggly fouls.
For further information, please contact: Bayern, who trounced Hamburg 8-0 in the Bundesliga on Saturday, were stifled by a Shakhtar side playing their first competitive game in two months. Pep Guardiola’s team were quickly on the front foot with Arjen Robben, Franck Ribéry and Thomas Müller creating good chances. Robben outmuscled Vyacheslav Shevchuk in the penalty area and fed Muller, whose shot rolled along the goalline, before being cleared to the relief of the home supporters. Müller spurned a glorious chance after 30 minutes when he fired a volley over the bar after being set up by Ribéry.
Tempers flared on several occasions and emotions boiled over in the second half with Shakhtar’s Brazilian midfielder Douglas Costa booked for lashing out at Ribéry before Alonso, who had already been booked in the first half, was sent off on 65 minutes for upending Alex Teixeira. This forced Bayern on to the back foot and left them trying to hit Shakhtar on the break. Guardiola tried to inject some attacking impetus by bringing on Robert Lewandowski but both sides appeared happy to settle for a draw as the game drew to a close.
Shakhtar’s solid rearguard display maintained their chances of reaching the Champions League quarter-finals for the second time but Guardiola’s Bayern will be confident of progressing after the return leg in Munich on 11 March.
“I am especially pleased with the opening spell of the game when our players created three or four options to open the scoring and controlled the ball,” said Guardiola. “Our task was to restrain Shakhtar’s quick players from unfolding counterattacks. I am happy that we coped with this as they had zero goal chances.“
The Shakhtar coach, Mircea Lucescu, however, was left ruing a missed opportunity. “I only regret we did not start to play our usual football after Xabi Alonso was sent off,” he said.
The match was played in Lviv in western Ukraine because Shakhtar’s Donbass Arena has twice been damaged by shelling during the conflict in the east of the country, where Donetsk is a separatist stronghold.