Sevilla 1-2 Bayern Munich: Bundesliga giants take first-leg lead in Champions League quarter-final
Bayern Munich came from behind to take a 2-1 first-leg advantage over Sevilla in the Champions League quarter-final.
Jupp Heynckes' side - now 3/1 with Sky Bet to win the competition - made the most of several slices of good fortune after falling behind to a Pablo Sarabia strike - the Sevilla forward having earlier missed a gilt-edged opening - but they battled back to earn a 2-1 win thanks to two massively-deflected goals.
The first saw Franck Ribery's 38th-minute cross go in off Jesus Navas and then Thiago's second-half header found the back of the net via Sergio Escudero.
Bayern stepped up through the gears after being second best for the opening 45 minutes and they will now fancy their chances of finishing things off in the return meeting, where they take a lead and two valuable away goals back to the Allianz Arena next week.
Elsewhere, a Cristiano Ronaldo wonder goal helped Real Madrid seal first-leg advantage over Juventus.
12 - Jupp #Henyckes (@FCBayernEN) is the first coach to win 12 consecutive games in the history of the champions league. Legend. #SEVBAY pic.twitter.com/bxXGuze8k5
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) April 3, 2018
Champions League winner odds (via Sky Bet)
Real Madrid - 11/4
Barcelona - 3/1
Bayern Munich - 3/1
Manchester City - 3/1
Post-match reaction
Bayern Munich defender Mats Hummels admits they have plenty of room for improvement in their quest for Champions League glory, telling BT Sport: "I think the result would have gotten our signature if you gave it to us before the game, so we're very happy about the result and about most parts of the game as well, but it wasn't 90 minutes of good from us.
"(There was) at least half-an-hour in the first half when Sevilla were clearly the better team and had good chances to score maybe a second goal, so we know there's a lot we have to improve in the next game next week, and hopefully in the games coming after that.
"We always told everyone how good they are because we knew.
"So it didn't come as a surprise for us, but of course we didn't want them to be that dominant for the biggest part of the first half.
"That's something we will analyse and talk about and we will try not to let it happen again in next week's game in Munich."
Sevilla coach Vincenzo Montella, whose side dumped Manchester United out in the previous round, admits the Andalusian outfit have a mountain to climb but is not throwing in the towel yet.
Asked what chance they have in the return leg, Montella said: "Few, but we're going to play with the same amount of pride, or more.
"Things are made possible if you believe and I continue believing. Our percentage (of going through) is low, but we have to play them."
He added, in quotes reported by AS: "We haven't had luck.
"I'm grateful for the excellent game that my players had against a very high-level opponent. The team deserved more. The first goal we conceded was a shame, it didn't demoralise us, but we lost momentum.
"The second half was more even, but we didn't have the energy to go on the counter-attack. We went for it in the final minutes and I like that a lot, but the two goals (Sevilla conceded) were a shame."
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Page last updated at 2235 BST 03/04/18
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