German champions Bayern Munich and Spanish football giant Barcelona drew 1-1 in the Champions League quarterfinal second leg on Tuesday, and the Spaniards progress to the semifinals on a clear-cut 5-1 aggregate.
Bayern went in front through Franck Ribery in the 47th minute, but had to settle for a 1-1 draw on the night after Seydou Keita equalised in the 73rd.
The overall result of the tie was at no point in any doubt, Barcelona having won the first leg 4-0 last week.
However, the men from Munich at least salvaged a good deal of pride and dignity with a creditable display in comparison to the mauling at Camp Nou last week.
For Bayern, it is the fourth time they have taken their leave of the competition at the quarterfinal stage since last winning it in 2001. Barca meanwhile remain on course to collect their third title after 1992 and 2006. Next up for them in the semifinal are Chelsea, who scored a 7-5 aggregate win against Liverpool.
The hosts started at a frantic pace and should have gone in front after just five minutes, an unmarked Luca Toni failing to connect properly with a Jose Ernesto Sosa cross.
Ten minutes later, the much-improved Ribery fired just over the bar. From then on, Barca concentrated on taking the tempo out of the match and the rest of the half produced few chances of note.
Two minutes after the restart however, Andreas Ottl opened up the guest defence with an angled ball to Ribery, who finished with aplomb to put Bayern in front.
That was the signal for Barcelona to up the pace themselves and with 17 minutes remaining, Keita finished off a fluent passing move with an unstoppable shot past Hans-Joerg Butt from just outside the box.
"I think the team has rehabilitated itself, although Barcelona's equalizing goal was needlessly conceded," said Bayern president Franz Beckenbauer, who slapped his team after the first-leg debacle.
"We were much better in the personal duels, things were a bit more normal, and we played the way you need to against such a good team," said Germany defender Philipp Lahm.
(Xinhua News Agency April 15, 2009)
