The first leg of this last-16 tie was a tetchy affair and one which Pep Guardiola’s side managed to get nowhere near the level of performance managed in their 8-0 Bundesliga drubbing of Hamburg at the weekend.
Shakhtar looked rusty – no surprise given they have not played a competitive game since the group stages – and failed to capitalise on Alonso’s second-half sending off.
The former Liverpool and Real Madrid midfielder was given his marching orders for a second bookable offence with 25 minutes remaining, but it did little to change the match played out in sub-zero temperatures at the Arena Lviv.
Shakhtar are having to play more than 750 miles from Donetsk due to the ongoing political troubles in the region,.
Bayern dominated the early changes, but the ‘home’ side began to come into the game more, especially after Alonso’s exit, and deserved the draw.
Irish Independent
