Bayern Edge CSKA Moscow in Empty Stadium as Benatia Reflects on Quiet Victory
1 October 2014
Bayern Munich continued their perfect start to the UEFA Champions League group stage with a narrow 1-0 victory over CSKA Moscow on Tuesday night, in a match played behind closed doors due to UEFA sanctions against the Russian club.
The German champions, who opened their European campaign with a 1-0 win over Manchester City, made it two wins from two thanks to a first-half penalty from Thomas Müller. However, the eerily quiet conditions at the Arena Khimki provided an unusual backdrop for a top-level European clash.
CSKA Moscow were serving a punishment imposed by UEFA following repeated incidents of racist abuse from their supporters during previous campaigns. As a result, Tuesday’s match was played in an empty stadium—a situation Bayern defender Mehdi Benatia admitted made the match feel subdued.
“The risk tonight was to fall asleep a little because of a fairly calm atmosphere,” said the Moroccan international after the final whistle. “It’s not the kind of environment you want for a Champions League match, but the most important thing was to win.”
Despite the lack of crowd noise, the match remained competitive. CSKA, who had suffered a heavy 5-1 defeat to Roma in their opening group game, put in a more resilient performance and created several opportunities that tested the Bavarian defence.
“CSKA had to win tonight after losing their first match in Rome. We knew that,” Benatia added. “They played much better than they did against Roma. They had some dangerous chances that could have caused us problems.”
The victory keeps Bayern top of Group E, with maximum points and no goals conceded. For Benatia, it was a solid night both defensively and emotionally, as his next Champions League appearance is set to come against his former club, AS Roma, on Matchday 3.
The Moroccan centre-back joined Bayern Munich from Roma in the summer and is expected to play a key role in what promises to be a high-stakes reunion in the Italian capital.
While Bayern’s performance may not have matched the fireworks of other European fixtures, the German side once again showed the tactical discipline and efficiency that has become the hallmark of Pep Guardiola’s reign.
With six points from two matches, Bayern Munich have put themselves in a commanding position in the group. Meanwhile, CSKA Moscow are rooted to the bottom with no points, and face a steep uphill battle to qualify for the knockout stages.
