Manchester United's hopes of redeeming a poor season with a surprise
Champions League semi-final place were ended as holders Bayern Munich
fought back to record a dominant second-leg win.
David Moyes's side had held Bayern to a
1-1 draw at Old Trafford
and stunned the hosts when Patrice Evra rifled in.
But Mario Mandzukic nodded in a swift equaliser before Thomas Muller's scuffed finish put Bayern ahead.
Arjen Robben then wrapped up the 4-2 aggregate win with a fine solo goal.
Analysis
"If it had been last year or the year before, I think United would have won. If United had come out at Old Trafford like they did in the second half tonight it may have been a different game. They didn't do it enough over the two games."
With United already out of the
Premier League title race, FA Cup and League Cup, the Champions League
had been Moyes's final chance to redeem what has been a hugely
disappointing season for the 2012-13 league champions.
They had been given little chance against a Bayern side
who have been imperious this season, but United had produced a dogged
defensive display at Old Trafford to give themselves hope heading into
Wednesday's encounter.
United needed to score at Bayern to have a chance of progressing and, with that in mind, Moyes named an attacking line-up with Wayne Rooney, fit after recovering from a toe injury, leading the line in front of Danny Welbeck, Shinji Kagawa and Antonio Valencia.
It almost paid dividends inside the first 10 minutes when a long ball over the top gave Rooney space to run at goal but the England striker hesitated on the edge of the area and his shot was blocked.
Valencia had an effort ruled out for offside soon after, before Bayern took control of the game. But for all their dominance in possession they did not force United goalkeeper David De Gea into a save in the first half.
Misery for Man Utd
- Manchester United were ahead for just 73 seconds before Bayern equalised
- The defeat marks the first time in 22 Champions League games that United have conceded more than twice
- Their exit means for the first time since 1995-96 they face the prospect of not competing in the Champions League next season
Their short, sharp passing was
creating opportunities but decision-making in the final third was
letting them down, although Robben caused an all-too-brief moment of
excitement just before half-time when he pounced on a loose ball and
jinked his way into the area, only to see his shot deflected wide by
Chris Smalling.
That pattern of play initially continued in the second
half, but just as the hour mark approached the game finally exploded
into life.
United stunned the home crowd when Valencia beat his man on the right to cross into the box where the ball was cleared only as far as Evra, who raced to the edge of the area and smashed a fine strike off the underside of the crossbar and into the net.
The goal had Moyes and his coaching staff punching the air with delight, but the celebrations were all too brief as Bayern responded immediately.
From the kick-off, the ball found its way to Ribery on the left and Mandzukic stooped in front of Evra to head his low cross beyond De Gea.
Suddenly the game opened up as Rooney failed to connect properly with a shot from a promising position, while Bayern's Mario Gotze saw a header saved.
It was the home side, though, who got the crucial second goal when Robben's low ball into the area was turned in from close range by Muller.
Bayern Munich 3-1 Man Utd: David Moyes says equaliser was United's 'only crime'
But Robben could not be stopped from putting the game beyond the visitors when, with defenders backing off, he ran across the edge of the area before slipping a low shot just inside the post.
United famously scored twice in injury time to overturn a one-goal deficit and beat Bayern in the 1999 Champions League final, but there was to be no repeat of such heroics in this game.
The home side eased to victory without further alarm to join Atletico Madrid, Chelsea and Real Madrid in Friday's semi-final draw.
