Liverpool, Bayern share the spoils
Bayern Munich still can’t find a way to score at Liverpool, drawing 0-0 in the Champions League yesterday to go a fourth game without netting at Anfield across 48 years.
By denying Bayern an away goal, Liverpool have a slight edge heading into the second leg of the round of 16 knowing they would advance with a scoring draw.
‘‘It’s not a dream result but it’s a good one and we can work with that,’’ Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp said. ‘‘It’s not a game we will remember in 20 years but it’s a result we have.’’
In a meeting of teams that have each lifted the European Cup five times and are second in their domestic leagues, there was little quality in front of goal.
‘‘We needed to take pressure off their front three,’’ Bayern winger Serge Gnabry said. ‘‘We know they are a counterattacking team . . . to keep the ball in midfield to not let them break through was important.’’
Liverpool, with Virgil Van Dijk suspended and Dejan Lovren and Joe Gomez both injured, started with their fourth-choice centre back in Joel Matip and midfielder Fabinho playing alongside him.
Liverpool had a scare in the 13th minute when Joe Matip unwittingly diverted Serge Gnabry’s cross goalward from close-range and the ball bounced off goalkeeper Alisson Becker to safety. Bayern winger Kingsley Coman then sent a shot into the side-netting three minutes later.
Liverpool squandered chances when Mohamed Salah headed wide from Trent Alexander-Arnold’s delivery and Sadio Mane shot wide on the turn.
Mane also miscued an attempted overhead kick in front of the Bayern goal and Matip sent the ball wide from Roberto Firmino’s cutback before halftime.
‘‘We had enough chances,’’ Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson said, ‘‘I feel, especially in the first half, to score one or two.’’
On a quiet night in the competition, the other game between Lyon and Barcelona also finished scoreless.
Lionel Messi failed to add to his six goals in the competition, while Luis Suarez had the goal gaping but sliced a shot wide with 20 minutes left after latching on to Jordi Alba’s pass from the left.
When Messi picked out Sergio Busquets five minutes from the end, the midfielder’s rasping shot from the edge of the penalty area drew a fine save from Anthony Lopes.
‘‘It’s always good to go away from home and not concede,’’ Barcelona defender Clement Lenglet said.
‘‘Lyon played well but their keeper was very good.’’
Messi had the goal in his sights in the last minute with his second free kick of the night, but struck it into the wall and did the same with the rebound.
Both goalkeepers did well in a contest free of any cynical or heavy fouling, with Barcelona’s Marc-Andre ter Stegen making two fine saves inside the first 10 minutes from midfielder Houssem Aouar and forward Martin Terrier.
Although Lyon spent much of the half chasing Barcelona’s slick midfielders, Barca’s approach play too often broke down around the penalty area. Suarez was the biggest culprit, wasting several promising moves with unusually hurried passes.
Coach Ernesto Valverde’s side won the Spanish league last season and lead it again. But Barcelona have not reached the Champions League final since winning the competition for the fifth time in 2015.
‘‘The result is fine for us; we still have a chance to progress even if we know it will be tough. We have the ability to go far,’’ Lyon defender Leo Dubois said.