Bayern leave it late against Spartak

Elber was a constant threat and scored the winner

Bayern Munich 1-0 Spartak Moscow

Brazilian Elber struck a late goal to give Bayern Munich a 1-0 win over Spartak Moscow.

Elber headed home from close range 11 minutes from time to seal the match for the German side who now top Group C with seven points.

Stefan Effenberg and Mehmet Scholl ran the midfield but looked clumsy in front of goal until Elber broke the deadlock.

Elber and Scholl had wasted opportunities before Elber's shot from the edge of the box bounced off the bar in the 32nd minute in what was Bayern's best chance before the break.

Relying on counter-attacks, Spartak threatened the Bayern goal first in the 37th minute with a spectacular overhead kick from Uzbekistan international Jafar Irismetov which almost surprised keeper Oliver Kahn.

Four minutes later an angled shot from the edge of the penalty area by Brazilian striker Robson flew just wide.

Elber threat

The second half followed the same pattern with Elber again Bayern's most dangerous player.

In the 74th minute he collected a fine pass from substitute Carsten Jancker and tried to flick the ball past Spartak goalkeeper Alexander Filimonov who managed to punch the ball to safety.

Spartak, now bottom of the group with three points, had not played a competitive match since losing 3-0 to Olympique Lyon in their previous Champions League game on 5 December.

But they fought bravely and Filimonov had a great game, denying Bayern with a string of brilliant saves until Elber's header from a Scholl cross left him stranded.

Bayern will now visit Spartak in their next group match on 21 February and three points from that game would almost certainly guarantee the Munich club a place in the last eight.

But the German champions will be without Jens Jeremies, who will be suspended after collecting his third yellow card of the competition on Tuesday.

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Bayern Munich: Kahn, Lizarazu, Kuffour, Scholl, Elber, Effenberg, Sergio, Jeremies, Fink, Salihamidzic, Linke. Subs: Dreher, Sagnol, Andersson, Sforza, Tarnat, Jancker, Zickler.

Spartak Moscow: Filimonov, Kovtun, Tchuisse, Ananko, Baranov, Bulatov, Titov, Marcao, Robson, Mitreski, Irismetov. Subs: Smetanin, Khizaneishvili, Kalynychenko, Bezrodny, Pisarev, Bougakov.