Valencia, Bayern draw to make last 16 in Champions League

Valencia and Bayern Munich drew 1-1 in Valencia's Mestalla Stadium on Tuesday to

ensure their places in the knockout round of the Champions League.

Valencia kicked off the game knowing they were already in the next phase of

the competition as BATE Borisov had already fallen victims to a 2-0 defeat at

home to Lille.

The result meant that Valencia, who had defeated BATE twice, were though as

the result of a superior individual goal difference, while Bayern who still have

to play the side from Belarus, needed a point to assure their progress.

That was made clear in the opening minutes as Bayern looked for the win

against a home side that was grateful to keeper Vicente Guaita for a pair of

excellent saves from Bayern defender Dante Costa and for the first 25 minutes

the Spanish side struggled to create anything.

Things went from bad to worse after 34 minutes when Valencia full back David

Barragan was sent off for a direct red card. The Valencia right back already had

a yellow card when he flew into a challenge and referee Howard Webb had little

option other than to leave Valencia with 10 men.

Oddly the home side then played some of their best football of the night with

Roberto Soldado and Sofiane Feghouli both shooting over the Bayern bar.

At halftime, former Bayern player Paul Breitner said on Spanish TV he thought

the game would end with a scoreless draw.

Apart from a Soldado header from a Feghouli cross and another miss from the

striker after a ball from Tino Costa, the majority of the possession and the

attacks came from the visitors, although they failed to create clear chances

against a hard working Valencia before Mario Mandzukic hit the post with 18

minutes remaining.

Valencia proved Breitner wrong when they took the lead with 13 minutes

remaining when Feghouli's shot hit Dante's arm to deflect into the back of the

Bayern net, but Valencia's joy lasted for just four minutes as Tomas Muller

leveled the score with a finish which wrong-footed the excellent Guaitat ensure

the game ended in a draw which sees both sides make it into the last 16.