Liverpool 0-0 Bayern Munich - 5 Talking Points, UEFA Champions League 2018-19
Liverpool and Bayern Munich played out a thrilling 0-0 draw at Anfield in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie, in a game that the Reds would feel they ought to have come out of with a positive result.
Sadio Mane missed a glaring opportunity to put the Reds ahead in the first half, when a ricochet landed to him with Manuel Neuer's goal at his mercy, but he somehow contrived to pull his shot wide.
In what was a weird game, in that neither goalkeeper really had plenty to do, the two sides only mustered two shots on target between them, despite having 24 attempts in all.
This leaves the tie delicately poised ahead of the second leg at the Allianz Arena, in three weeks time. Neither side will be too disappointed with the result, although Klopp will be the first to admit that his side should have been taking an advantage to Munich.
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#5 Liverpool's shooting boots go missing
In what was an intense first half played at a breakneck speed, it was Bayern who actually threatened first, as Alisson dithered on the ball for a little too long, and Robert Lewandowski pounced, but Kingsley Coman's pass back to the Pole was good enough, and the Brazilian redeemed himself.
Post that, it was pretty much all Liverpool till the break. They were eager in the press, pounced on the loose balls in midfield, and put together some superb moves with intricate passing in tight areas.
The most glaring opportunity of all, of course, fell to Mane, who would probably score from that kind of opportunity nine times of ten. Mo Salah had an opportunity too, as he was found by a superb raking long ball from skipper Jordan Henderson, who was superb on the night. Salah just couldn't get enough of his boot on the ball to really test Neuer, for whom it was a comfortable catch.
The Reds had further opportunities, as Joel Matip skewed a shot wide off a corner, and then right on the stroke of half-time, Roberto Firmino was played through by Gini Wijnaldum, but with the angle too narrow and Neuer committed, the Brazilian could not execute his chip through to Mane at the far-post well enough.
The second half saw clear-cur chances come few and far between, with a late Mane header off a Robertson cross being saved by Neuer at his near-post.