We’re not in the final.
Advertisement
“I wanted to reach the Champions League final”. We tried everything but unfortunately it wasn’t enough. “Today, I do not feel like that”, Guardiola said. “We deserved it”, he said in a post-match television interview. I am proud of my team.
“We achieved our goal, we have seen that we are a very strong team, but we were really good defensively”.
In a thrilling affair which saw two missed penalties, Xabi Alonso handed Bayern the lead on the night after 31 minutes with a deflected free-kick from just outside the area.
Trailing to Saul Niguez’s stunning first-leg strike, Bayern dominated the return fixture at the Allianz Arena where they had 72.5 per cent possession and 33 attempts on goal.
“We’re very sad, but we still have two trophies that we hope to win”.
The second leg was played at Dalymount Park on the 1 October 1958, and despite the Irishmen trying their best, they suffered a 5-1 loss.
Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone says his side’s “thrilling” Champions League semi-final success over Bayern Munich was like the final moments in a movie.
Guardiola said he had no regrets in his team selection, having recalled Thomas Mueller, Franck Ribery and Jerome Boateng in three changes from the side that lost the first leg. “We have made many things right and just a little bit wrong”, Muller said.
Bayern won 2-1 against Atletico Madrid in Munich but went out on away goals as their semi-final finished 2-2 on aggregate. Bayern were caught by a wonderful through ball and Antoine Griezmann raced through before coolly picking his spot and beating Manuel Neuer in the Bayern goal. “We went out very well in the counter-attack that resulted in the goal and that allowed us to have an advantage”.
Muller was left to rue the chances that got away.
“Football can be extreme at times”, he added.
“I think Muller showed last night he can not do everything”.
Advertisement
But while acknowledging Atletico’s route to the final via victories over domestic champions Barca and Bayern Munich, Madrid midfielder Kroos insisted his team-mates are the superior outfit heading into the showpiece in Milan.
