Coach praises Bayern’s grit

Munich – Jupp Heynckes (above) expressed his delight at Bayern Munich’s ability to keep their composure despite a frustrating 0-0 draw against 10-man Sevilla as they qualified for the Champions League semifinals.

Bayern progressed to the last four on Wednesday for the seventh time in nine seasons, prevailing 2-1 on aggregate following their first-leg victory in Spain last week.

Veteran winger Franck Ribery had Bayern’s best chance in the Munich home leg, but he fired straight at Sevilla goalkeeper David Soria in the first half at the Allianz Arena.

Sevilla’s Joaquin Correa hit the Bayern crossbar with a header on the hour mark before being sent off just before the final whistle for a foul on Javi Martinez.

Spanish international Martinez finished with a bruised knee, while James Rodriguez picked up a thigh injury in a bruising encounter.

Heynckes admitted it was a frustrating night for Bayern and their fans as they struggled to cope with Sevilla playmaker Ever Banega.

“In the first 20, 25 minutes, we managed to constrict Sevilla, but too often we didn’t get pressure on Banega,” he said. “Annoyingly, we did not score, although we had chances.

“We played well, even if it wasn’t a good game for the general public.”

After Barcelona and Manchester City – the runaway leaders in Spain and England respectively – crashed out on Tuesday, Bayern are the only team left in Europe who can still win the treble.

They wrapped up a sixth straight Bundesliga title last Saturday and are into the semifinals of the German Cup.