Villarreal pulled off a shock result as they narrowly beat Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich 1-0 in the first leg of their quarter-final tie.
2021/2022 UEFA Champions League
1-0
Match Events
0' The match is about to start!
7' GOAL! Villarreal 1-0 Bayern (Groeneveld)
23' Kimmich's long shot wide out
41' OFFSIDE! Coquelin’s goal disallowed
48' Davies' shot wide out
50' Gnabry's shot wide out
53' CLOSE! Moreno hits the post
62' Moreno's long shot wide out
81' Sane's long shot stopped
Match Report
Bayern started at a ferocious pace but without creating clear-cut chances and they were stunned on eight minutes when Villarreal scored with their first attack.
Gerard Moreno and Giovani Lo Celso combined down the right and the Tottenham loanee reached the byline and played the ball with the outside of his left foot to Dani Parejo.
From the edge of the six-yard box he prodded it goalwards with a shot that lacked the pace to beat Manuel Neuer but it never reached the Bayern keeper because Danjuma diverted it into the corner for 1-0.
Bayern tried to react quickly but a thundering challenge from Raul Albiol just inside the penalty area on Serge Gnabry summed up the Villarreal response.
Bayern had the ball but Emery’s team were aggressive and well-organised and they might have made it two just before the break.
Francis Coquelin was slipped through by Parejo. He was in slightly unfamiliar territory on the left of the penalty area and, head down, he sent over a crossshot that floated over Neuer’s net and nestled just inside his back post. He was just the wrong side of the last defender and the goal was ruled out.
At the restart again it was Villarreal going close with Gerard Moreno shaking the frame of Neuer’s goal with a low shot from distance that came off the post.
Villarreal have lost three of their last five league games and slipped to seventh in La Liga but they are transformed in Europe.
Moreno again went close on the hour. Danjuma raced down the left and crossed for the Spain striker who would have scored had Alphonso Davies not slid in brilliantly to block.
Another close shave for Bayern provoked their first change with Leroy Sane and Leon Goretzka replacing Thomas Müller and Gnabry.
The next thing that happened was yet another Villarreal chance.
Neuer was out as far as the edge of the centre circle with the ball at his feet. His pass went straight to Moreno his shot from the half way line, with the Bayern keeper scrambling back, went wide.
With so many missed chances to score the second Villarreal were inviting Bayern to make them regret their wastefulness.
But twice Davies was denied with a shot, first blocked by Etienne Capoue and then saved by Gero Rulli.
The chances came at both ends right to the finish. Rulli saved from a Kingsley Coman volley in injury time, after Villarreal substitute Alfonso Pedraza blazed over for the home side.
Leon Goretzka suffered a bloody head wound after jumping with Pau Torres in the area but the incident was not reviewed.
Villarreal held their lead. There will be 52,000 inside the Allianz Arena next week. The team from the Spanish town of 50,000 inhabitants have given themselves a great chance of going through.
Line-ups
Villarreal XI: Albiol, Capoue, Parejo, Coquelin, G. Rulli, G. Moreno, Lo Celso, P. Estupiñán, Groeneveld, P. Torres, Foyth
Subs: Asenjo, Iborra, Gaspar, Mandi, Aurier, Alcacer, Moi Gómez, Trigueros, R.Peña, Pedraza, S. Chukwueze, Yeremy
Bayern XI: Neuer, Muller, Lewandowski, Gnabry, Kimmich, Coman, Lucas, Pavard, Upamecano, Alphonso Davies, J. Musiala
Subs: Ulreich, Sabitzer, Sule, Goretzka, Sane, Roca, O. Richards, Fruchtl, J. Stanišić, Kouassi, M. Tillman