Gabi Fernandez celebrates after his teammate Antoine Griezmann scored their first goal during the Champions League second leg semifinal soccer match between Bayern Munich and Atletico de Madrid in Munich.
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Though they were beaten 2-1 on the night at the Allianz Arena, Atletico booked a place in the final after a 2-2 aggregate victory on away goals.
Guardiola, in his final Champions League home game at Bayern before his move to Manchester City for next season, started with defender Jerome Boateng, who returned from a three-month injury break on Saturday, and Franck Ribery, himself back from injury.
Bayern midfielder Xabi Alonso tied up the semi-final on aggregate when his free-kick took a hefty deflection off the wall and sent Jan Oblak.
Both sides missed penalties – Thomas Muller for Bayern in the first half and Fernando Torres for Atletico in the second.
“In the second half we wanted the opposite, try to press them really high, regain the ball, have counterattacks and that’s the way we got the goal. We need to keep grounded and first of all think of the Liga before the final”.
“Their first half was fantastic, with us providing a minimal response to the situations they created”.
Lewandowski, being marshaled by Diego Godin, was inches away from meeting Douglas Costa’s cross and Arturo Vidal fired the next opportunity over the top as Bayern kept up the pressure.
“It was my aim to achieve this”, Guardiola, who will join Manchester City in the summer, said.
Atletico could have put the game to bed but Fernando Torres missed from the spot.
“The team isn’t to blame, we tried everything, but unfortunately it wasn’t enough”, said Lahm.
“I thought it was outside the box on the pitch, but the play is quick and sometimes the referee sees where the player goes down”, he added to BT Sport.
His players, who won the Champions League before Guardiola arrived in 2013, were equally disappointed.
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Given that Matesanz works for Atletico and not UEFA, it is unlikely that Simeone will be handed a ban for the final but he’s certainly running a risk by acting like this on the sidelines. “I am not the kind of player to go missing in big games”.
