WATCH: Own Goal, Thiago Give Bayern Munich UCL Edge Over Sevilla
Bayern Munich didn't win in the fashion that many may have expected, but the German power still has the edge it wants going back home for the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinals.
An own goal and a header from Thiago Alcantara brought Bayern back from a 1-0 deficit and led the favorite to a 2-1 win over Sevilla at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on Tuesday. Spain's seventh-placed side is seeking a second straight shock after ousting Manchester United in the round of 16, but it'll take a comeback on German soil in order for it to happen.
Bayern came out pressuring early, as expected, winning a second-minute corner when Franck Ribery and Robert Lewandowski worked a slick combination down the left-hand side, only for Lewandowski's return, cut-back pass to be put out for the set piece.
Tensions spiked in the 13 minute, when Franco Vazquez was taken down for not the first time by Ribery as he ventured forward into the attacking third. Tempers cooled, Ribery was shown yellow and Sevilla was unable to do anything with the set piece, with a physical theme developing in the opening stages.
Sevilla appeared to try and capitalize on that and lure Bayern intro drawing more cards, but Joaquin Correa couldn't trick the referee and was booked for simulation moments later.
Pablo Sarabia spoiled Sevilla's first chance of the match, and it was a golden one. The ball fell for him, unmarked, in the center of the box, but he missed the target completely, putting his chance wide of the far post in the 20th minute.
Bayern nearly went ahead some six minutes later, with Thiago cutting inside and launching from 20 yards, but he put his powerful hit right at goalkeeper David Soria, who made the catch with ease.
Sarabia made up for his miss in the 32nd minute. He took down a bending cross from Sergio Escudero–controversially, as it appears as if he may have handled it when taking it down–and quickly whipped in a left-footed shot that beat Sven Ulreich for a deserved opener.
The lead didn't last long. Moments after James Rodriguez replaced Arturo Vidal, the Colombian played a ball forward for Ribery. The veteran Frenchman whipped in a cross for Lewandowski, and it took a wicked deflection off Jesus Navas to trickle in just inside the near post for the equalizer and vital away goal in the 37th minute.
Thiago gave Bayern its first lead–and the only one it would need–in the 68th minute, with Ribery again an active part of the goal, supplying the assist to the far post.
Here were the lineups for both teams:
The second leg will take place at Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena on Wednesday, April 11.
