Bayern Munich's Xabi Alonso was sent
off in his 100th Champions League
game as his side played out a drab
stalemate against Shakhtar Donetsk
in Ukraine.
The former Liverpool midfielder fouled
Taison to collect a second yellow card
with arou
nd 25 minutes to play.
Earlier, Thomas Muller had pulled a shot
wide when clean through for Bayern and
he fired over before the break.
But neither side threatened after
Alonso's red in a tetchy game. They
meet again in Munich on 11 March.
The sides shared 35 fouls and six yellow
cards in addition to Alonso's red, with
attacks often cut short by tactical fouls
when danger looked likely.
Shakhtar, champions in Ukraine, will be
"heroes" if they overcome Bayern
according to the manager Mircea Lucescu
as his side are still playing home fixtures
away from their Donbass Arena because
of conflict in the area.
They have also not played a competitive
game since December as the Ukraine
Premier League - in which they sit
second to Dynamo Kiev - is on its winter
break.
Playing several hundred miles away from
home in the western city of Lviv, they
arrived to face a Bayern side who had
hammered Hamburg 8-0 on Saturday but
ended the night having restricted their
visitors to few chances.
Though Muller sprang the offside trap
from Arjen Robben's pass in the first
half, he could only pull his shot across
the goalmouth from 10 yards and he
then fired over from a Franck Ribery pull-
back late in the first period.
Shakhtar, boasting the tournament's top
scorer in Luiz Adriano, played on the
break but only got their talisman into the
game sparingly and he left the field late
on having completed just 44% of his 18
passes.
Alonso tangled with Shakhtar winger
Taison when the Brazilian threatened a
break away, prompting a second yellow
card, but the Ukrainians failed to make
their advantage count and both sides
settled for a point.
They will reconvene in three weeks' time
in Munich, where Bayern have not lost
since defeat against Real Madrid in the
semi-final of this competition last
season.
off in his 100th Champions League
game as his side played out a drab
stalemate against Shakhtar Donetsk
in Ukraine.
The former Liverpool midfielder fouled
Taison to collect a second yellow card
with arou
nd 25 minutes to play.
Earlier, Thomas Muller had pulled a shot
wide when clean through for Bayern and
he fired over before the break.
But neither side threatened after
Alonso's red in a tetchy game. They
meet again in Munich on 11 March.
The sides shared 35 fouls and six yellow
cards in addition to Alonso's red, with
attacks often cut short by tactical fouls
when danger looked likely.
Shakhtar, champions in Ukraine, will be
"heroes" if they overcome Bayern
according to the manager Mircea Lucescu
as his side are still playing home fixtures
away from their Donbass Arena because
of conflict in the area.
They have also not played a competitive
game since December as the Ukraine
Premier League - in which they sit
second to Dynamo Kiev - is on its winter
break.
Playing several hundred miles away from
home in the western city of Lviv, they
arrived to face a Bayern side who had
hammered Hamburg 8-0 on Saturday but
ended the night having restricted their
visitors to few chances.
Though Muller sprang the offside trap
from Arjen Robben's pass in the first
half, he could only pull his shot across
the goalmouth from 10 yards and he
then fired over from a Franck Ribery pull-
back late in the first period.
Shakhtar, boasting the tournament's top
scorer in Luiz Adriano, played on the
break but only got their talisman into the
game sparingly and he left the field late
on having completed just 44% of his 18
passes.
Alonso tangled with Shakhtar winger
Taison when the Brazilian threatened a
break away, prompting a second yellow
card, but the Ukrainians failed to make
their advantage count and both sides
settled for a point.
They will reconvene in three weeks' time
in Munich, where Bayern have not lost
since defeat against Real Madrid in the
semi-final of this competition last
season.
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