Villarreal defeat Bayern to raise Champions League upset hopes

Dhaka Post Desk

Sports Desk

07 April 2022, 01:20 pm


Villarreal defeat Bayern to raise Champions League upset hopes

Villarreal inflicted a shock 1-0 victory over Bayern Munich on Wednesday as Arnaut Danjuma’s strike boosted the Spanish team’s hopes of causing a huge upset in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Danjuma diverted in Dani Parejo’s shot in the eighth minute at La Ceramica to seal a surprise win, with Bayern perhaps even fortunate not to be further behind going into the second leg in Germany next week.

Gerard Moreno hit the post and then curled a long-range effort agonizingly wide after Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer had skewed a clearance, briefly leaving his own net gaping.

Julian Nagelsmann’s six-time European champions will still be heavy favorites to overturn the deficit at the Allianz Arena but Villarreal showed again they are not to be underestimated, having already sent Juventus crashing out in the last 16.

Unai Emery’s side were seen as one of the kindest opponents available in the draw last month, with perhaps only Benfica placed lower than them in the quarter-finals pecking order.

Bayern, nine points clear at the top of the Bundesliga, up against a Villarreal side who sit seventh in La Liga, 12 points off the top four and into the last eight of the Champions League for the first time since 2009.

ARR

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