Real homes in on elusive 10th Euro crown

Source: Shanghai Daily | April 25, 2014, Friday 

REAL Madrid took a step closer to an elusive 10th European Cup with a 1-0 home win over Bayern Munich on Wednesday and the Spanish side will hope to finish off the job in Germany having shown how effective it is on the counter-attack.
Before the match, Bayern coach Pep Guardiola had warned that Real was the world’s best side on the break and even though Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale were only half-fit, it terrorized the German champion’s backline with its surging runs.
The duo should be in prime condition for next week’s return Champions League semifinal leg at the Allianz Arena, where Real will hope to enjoy more success on the counter-attack and book a first final appearance for 12 years.
“It wasn’t a case of him (Ronaldo) holding back but he wasn’t 100 percent. He did few full-out sprints but for us the most important thing was that he played. He worked hard to be there and we are happy,” Real coach Carlo Ancelotti said after the win at the Bernabeu.
Ronaldo had not played since the beginning of April due to knee and hamstring problems and the Italian took him off for the final 20 minutes, replacing him with Bale, who had been suffering from cold all week.
“The substitution was a decision that we took before the game as the injury risk was higher after an hour of the game because the muscles would be tired,” Ancelotti added.
Bayern’s early domination had looked ominous for the hosts but with the German side unable to fashion clear-cut chances, Real’s quick breaks posed a far bigger threat to visiting fullbacks David Alaba and Rafinha pushing up the pitch.
By contrast, Real’s own fullbacks Daniel Carvajal and Fabio Coentrao were regularly able to cause problems, getting forward frequently with the latter setting up France striker Karim Benzema for the only goal of the match in the 19th minute.
“Now the second leg will be difficult. We have to play with confidence and be motivated. Anything can still happen in Munich,” Ancelotti said.
Bayern, hoping to become the first team to successfully defend the Champions League title, promised a sharp improvement in the second leg after failing to convert the lion’s share of possession into goals on Wednesday.
“What we were missing was the finish,” said Bayern coach Pep Guardiola, who is looking for a treble of titles in his first season in charge.
“The result is certainly not ideal, but we can still improve in the second leg. We will analyze the game and then decide what our best options are for the return leg in order to successfully overcome this task.
“I am very optimistic. Even more than before this game.”
The sensational season Bayern has enjoyed so far suggests it is capable of turning the tie around at the Allianz Arena, where the team will be backed by a vocal 60,000 crowd.