Bayern turn tables on Man Utd

Elber on the attack fro Bayern against Man Utd

Champions League quarter-final first leg
Manchester United 0-1 Bayern Munich

Manchester United went down to a late Bayern Munich goal as the match appeared to be heading for a goalless draw.

Paulo Sergio scored in the 85th minute to give the Germans a priceless advantage going into the second leg in Germany in a fortnight's time.

He slotted home at the far post after Stefan Effenberg had headed on a free-kick from the visitors.

Just minutes before the goal, Bayern substitute Alexander Zickler struck a thunderous drive against the bar.

And he had a chance to double the advantage in injury-time, but blazed over.

United must attempt to win in Munich without the services of David Beckham, after a yellow card in this first encounter ruled him out of the return.

  Man U-Bayern key incidents

7: Silvestre forces United corner, the first of three in quick succession

16: Scholes clears Andersson shot off line

18: Cole wastes a chance to volley at goal

64: Jeremies drive forces Barthez to tip over

74: Superb Barthez save denies Jeremies

81: Zickler fires against the bar

85: Bayern's Sergio scores the winner

Both sides had decent chances to take the lead, but a combination of poor finishing and fine goalkeeping had ensured a blank sheet until Bayern's late show.

The game was a re-run of the 1999 Champions League final, only this time Bayern were the last-gasp winners.

Eleven survivors from the final of two years ago - five for United and six for Bayern - started this quarter-final first leg.

They included Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, scorer of United's winner in the Nou Camp, who was preferred to Teddy Sheringham up front.

Andy Cole, Paul Scholes, Jaap Stam and Mikael Silvestre also returned as United wheeled back all their big guns to face the Bundesliga champions.

United began in dashing style with a series of attacks on the visiting goal, and Silvestre looking lively going forward.

But Beckham picked up his third booking in the competition for a foul on Effenberg.

Salihamidzic and Lizarazu earned cautions for the visitors, which mean they will also miss the second leg.

Beckham is shown the yellow card

Andy Cole wasted one of United's best chances when he fluffed his attempted volley after he had been left unmarked in the Bayern box.

Cole then released Solskjaer, but the pass took the Norwegian too far out to the left and the visitors managed to get back to block his shot.

But Bayern went close when Scholes cleared Patrick Andersson's header from Mehmet Scholl's corner off the line.

Barthez pulled off an important save 16 minutes from time when he stood tall to palm away a rasping close-range Jeremies shot.

But he could do nothing about the opener, which left the home defence flat-footed.

After the goal, delighted Bayern fans taunted home supporters with their own take on the English anthem 'Football's Coming Home'.

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Man Utd: Barthez, Gary Neville, Brown, Stam, Silvestre, Beckham, Keane, Scholes, Giggs, Cole, Solskjaer. Subs: Van Der Gouw, Irwin, Butt, Sheringham, Phil Neville, Yorke, Chadwick.

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

Referee: Antonio Jesus Lopez Nieto (Malaga)