Mario Gomez missed a penalty and several other great opportunities went begging as the Bavarians dropped their first points of the Champions League campaign at San Paolo

By Kris Voakes and Clark Whitney

While the ‘group of death’ almost kicked the life of out Villarreal in Manchester last night, Napoli’s heart is still beating fast despite the pounding they took from Bayern Munich at San Paolo. Although it was a performance which suggested the Germans remain one of the Champions League’s contenders this year, the profligacy Jupp Heynckes’ side demonstrated in front of goal was out of the ordinary for a side who had, until now, been destructive when presented with chances this season.

Their streak may have ended, but after going 1147 minutes without conceding, Bayern remain Europe’s leading light outside of Real Madrid and Barcelona. Equipped with a defence that has arguably withstood greater challenges than any among the continent’s finest, the Bavarians’ record of just two goals conceded in 15 appearances remains unparalleled.

MATCH FACTS | Napoli 1-1 Bayern



Shots

On Target

Possession

Corners

Bookings

Napoli

3

0

42%

4

4

Bayern

10

5

58%

5

5



FCB were nonetheless missing something on Tuesday: a cutting edge that they have had in nearly every game up to this point. Even the greatest teams miss chances on occasion, of course, but it is troubling for outsiders, and games like the one at San Paolo make it harder for outsiders to earn their position among the world’s elite. Last night’s match is perhaps even more telling in that, even after their marked progress, Bayern still need a fit Arjen Robben to compete at their very best.

When Toni Kroos slotted into the bottom corner after exploiting a huge gap in the Napoli backline, things already looked ominous for the Champions League rookies, with Bayern threatening to turn the game into a demonstration. Instead, it became a lesson for Heynckes, an instruction in what his side is still short of in their bid to topple the current big-hitters from Spain.

From a similar position to Kroos’, Mario Gomez blazed wide during a period of Bayern pressure which arguably deserved a second goal. The miss was punished six minutes before half-time when a magnificent through ball by Gokhan Inler found Christian Maggio, whose low cross was turned into his own net by Holger Badstuber. It was an unfortunate way for die Roten’s clean sheet run to end, but also a clumsy one. Still, coming 19 hours after they’d last conceded, it would be harsh to linger on that moment.

The own goal was only fatal due to the inability to score the second and third goals that their play threatened at the other end of the field. While Morgan De Sanctis’ save from Gomez’s tame penalty was the most notable of the squandered opportunities, the rangy striker missed other great chances, and Bastian Schweinsteiger, Kroos and Thomas Muller also wasted from good positions.



Kroos scores early | But Bayern failed to add to it despite several great chances

The very nature of the Champions League group phase means Bayern still sit pretty and remain the third favourites to go on and win the trophy on home soil in May, but last night’s result suggests there is still plenty of work to do. Another such performance in front of goal when the knock-out stage kicks in after the turn of the year could end the great Bavarian dream of a triumph for the Allianz Arena natives in 2012.

For Napoli, it was something of a chastising experience, with the point gained clouding the truth of the matter. Without a single shot on target, the Vesuviani cannot claim to have matched Bayern in anything other than the scoreline. Ezequiel Lavezzi was their biggest threat, sending the away defence onto the back-foot whenever he ran at the Germans’ heart, but he drifted in and out of the game. Shorn of his supply line by the visitors’ pressing game, the Argentine had fewer chances than usual to take control of the game, and his side would have paid the price but for Bayern’s wastefulness.

Italy’s other representatives in action last night also found themselves retreating for much of the game, but Giampaolo Pazzini’s first-half goal threw Inter a lifeline against Lille, and the Ligue 1 champions failed to take even one of a countless string of chances. Beaten in almost every area of the pitch, as well as in every single statistic, Claudio Ranieri’s side moved to the top of Group B in about the least convincing way possible in what was their 100th Champions League fixture.

However, for a side struggling to pick up results, there can be no picking and choosing how they come about. Their weak heart was well enough protected for the French champions to fail in their bid to break through, leaving Inter two points clear in their section. It was unconvincing in the least, yet a win is a win right now for the Nerazzurri.

But whereas Bayern’s performance in Naples smacked of challengers on an off-night, Inter’s appeared nothing more than a temporary reprieve. There is little doubt as to which of the 2010 finalists will be challenging again this term.

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