… Rooney makes surprise return but lasts 55 minutes
MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) – Bayern Munich weathered a fierce Manchester United onslaught yesterday to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League on away goals after a 3-2 defeat at Old Trafford. Wayne Rooney made a surprise comeback from the ankle damage he sustained in the first leg at the Allianz Arena last week but it was Bayern’s Dutch winger Arjen Robben, not the United talisman who was substituted early in the seccond half, who decided the tie with a sumptuous volley 16 minutes from time.
It was an unlikely triumph for the Bundesliga leaders who seemed as stunned as every one inside the stadium when England striker Rooney ran out ready for action at the start of a sensational night of European action at the Theatre of Dreams.
Seven tumultuous minutes was all it took for United to turn a 2-1 first leg deficit into a 3-2 aggregate advantage with goals from Darron Gibson and Nani – their first in the Champions League.
Bayern looked dead and buried when Nani struck again after 41 minutes but Croatian Ivica Olic, scorer of the late winner in Munich, grabbed one back two minutes later and when United’s Brazilian fullback Rafael was sent off five minutes after the restart and a tired-looking Rooney was replaced the German side took charge.
Former Chelsea winger Robben struck the killer blow, drilling an unstoppable volley past Edwin van der Sar to set up a semi-final against Olympique Lyon.
United’s defeat means no English clubs have reached the last four for the first time since 2003.
It also leaves United’s season in danger of imploding after their costly defeat by Chelsea last Saturday means they are no longer favourites to win the Premier League.