Champions League – Manchester United were eliminated from the Champions League Quarter Final yesterday on the away goals rule after the game finished 3-2 on the night, 4-4 on aggregate.

Arjen Robben’s fabulous volley  was the decisive goal which made Manchester United crash out of the Champions League making it the first Semi Final without a British team in seven years.

Man Utd had the best start possible with two early goals by the Darron Gibson on the 3rd minute and Nani on the 7th minute. Gibson’s goal came after Wayne Rooney fed the 22-year-old who took a shot to the right of the goal catching Hans-Joerg Butt off balance.

Nani’s class goal came after Valencia dazzles passed Badstuber to take his cross which meets with Nani who cheekily nods the ball in with the back of his foot.

From there on the red devils looked the team in control in the first half with much of the ball possession but it is fear to say Bayern Munich also missed a couple of chances with Robben and Ribery using the wings very effectively.

United were also complaining due to the fouls committed on Wayne Rooney, as most of the blows went to his previously injured right foot for some reason?

Nani scored his second of the game and third for United on the 41st minute after the ball was met by Valencia who sprinted past Demichelis with a clever flick and crossed the ball which went passed Rooney and met with Nani who sent the ball bast Butt with a brilliant shot from just in the area.

Manchester United looked very much in control until just two minutes from the end of the first half when Ivica Olić held off Michael Carrick and shoots passed Van der Sar to make it Manchester United vs Bayern Munich :3-1.

The unnecessary goal conceded from nowhere gave the Bayern Munich side a confidence which was taken away by Manchester United in just the first seven minutes.

The second half of the game started of in a fast pace but was even, as both teams looked very much in it.

However the defiant moment of the game which also sealed Man Utd’s fate was the red card received by Rafael da Silva the 19-year-old right back who had been so influential in the first half.

The irresponsible and inexperienced Rafael was sent off after receiving a second yellow when he grappled Ribery from the back on the 50th minute. The referee who was suddenly surrounded by the German sent the young Brazilian off who looked visibly upset and down.

I say irresponsible as his first foul could have easily been red when he was fouled in the first half by Van Bommel and he kicked out at the Dutchman while the ball was not in the scene.

That was it for Manchester United. The young star who promises great future had been so influential with his long runs and important interceptions but his absence made United drop to defence and thought they could get away with it.

They were wrong. The Germans attacked for 40 minutes of the second half with Robben and Ribery especially getting behind the ball.

The replacement of Muller with Mario Gomez on the 46th minute added more strength to the German side.

Rooney was substituted off to make way for John O’Shea on the 55th minute as he is clearly not fit as clearly seen during the kicks he got on the pitch.

Bayern’s goal came on the 74th minute from a brilliant volley by Robben after a Ribery free-kick which went to the bottom left of the goal.

The last 10 minutes of the game saw the German outfit pass the ball around the field while United just chased the ball. It was a scene I hadn’t seen in a while as the English club looked exhausted and could not hold on to the ball.

When the final whistle went I could clearly say that Manchester United had only themselves to blame as they were in such a good position just until before the first half.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s after match comments was not very well taken by Bayern coach, Louis van Gaal when he said “They got him sent off, there’s no doubt about that and they would have never won if we had 11 men. He (Rafael) is a young boy, inexperienced and there’s a bit of immaturity about what happened but they got him sent off. Typical Germans. He (Rafael) was having a marvellous game and it’s a tragedy for him but the ref wasn’t going to do anything until they forced him to get a card out. But we’ve seen that before from teams like that.”

Ferguson also accused the Germans of deliberately trying to injure Wayne Rooney after the English international received several blows particularly to his injured right foot which made him miss the crucial Premiership clash in the weekend against Chelsea which United lost.

Louis van Gaal’s response to Ferguson was “I don’t share his (Ferguson’s) opinion, Every player must know that, if he picks up a yellow card, a second means a sending-off. I’m certainly happy my players knew that and that those who were booked carried on professionally. I believe it was a yellow-card offence by Rafael and that the player made the foul.”

Bayern Munich will now face Lyon in the Champions League Semi Final with the winners, going to Madrid where they will face Inter Milan or last years champions Barcelona.

The Champions League Semi Final – Bayern Munich Vs Lyon will be played on 21st April with the second leg on 27th April.

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