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Regular-article-logo Sunday, 27 April 2025

Toni saves day for Bayern

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(AFP) Published 12.04.08, 12:00 AM

Paris: Favourites Bayern Munich went perilously close to crashing out of the Uefa Cup with only eleventh hour heroics from Luca Toni saving the day against 10-man Getafe.

The Italian World Cup winner’s late extra time double in this quarter final second leg left Bayern and Getafe all square at 4-4 on aggregate with the German giants going through on away goals.

Ottmar Hitzfeld’s men will face Zenit St Petersburg in the last four after the Russians overcame Bayer Leverkusen 4-2 on aggregate, despite a 1-0 second leg reverse.

In Portugal, Scottish heavyweights Rangers stunned Sporting Lisbon with a 2-0 victory to earn a last four match up against Fiorentina, who beat PSV Eindhoven 2-0 for a 3-1 aggregate success.

In Madrid, Getafe took Bayern Munich to the wire despite losing the aptly named Ruben De La Red to a red card in the sixth minute. Cosmin Contra’s late away goal for Getafe for a 1-1 first leg tie gave the Spaniards hope of adding Bayern to a list of victims this season that includes Anderlecht, Aek Athens and Tottenham.

Contra it was who put Getafe 1-0 up on the night in the 44th minute, with Bayern’s Franck Ribery securing an 89th minute equaliser to force extra time. Getafe stunned Bayern when play resumed with midfielder Casquero and striker Braulio scoring in the 91st and 93rd minutes.

Toni though was to have the last word, or two as it turned out, as he first pounced on a mistake by Pato and then headed Jose Ernesto Sosa’s cross past the Getafe ’keeper.

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