Football | Liverpool, Bayern draw 0-0 in Champions League first leg

Bayern Munich still can’t find a way to score, let alone win at Liverpool.

In their fourth visit to Anfield, the German champions drew 0-0 in the Champions League yesterday [Macau time] to go a fourth game at the stadium without finding the net.

“It’s not a dream result but it’s a good one and we can work with that,” Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp said. “It’s not a game we will remember in 20 years but it’s a result we have.”

On a quiet night in the competition, the other game between Lyon and Barcelona was also scoreless.

By denying Bayern an away goal, Liverpool has a slight edge heading into the second leg of the round of 16 knowing it would advance with a scoring draw.

In a meeting of teams who have each lifted the European Cup five times and are second in their domestic leagues, there was little quality in front of goal.

“We needed to take pressure off their front three,” Bayern winger Serge Gnabry said. “We know they are a counterattacking team […] to keep the ball in midfield to not let them break through was important.”

Liverpool, with Virgil Van Dijk suspended and Dejan Lovren and Joe Gomez both injured, started with its fourth-choice center back in Joel Matip and midfielder Fabinho playing alongside him.

Liverpool had a scare in the 13th minute when Joe Matip unwittingly diverted Serge Gnabry’s cross goalward from close-range and the ball bounced off goalkeeper Alisson Becker to safety. Bayern winger Kingsley Coman then sent a shot into the side-netting three minutes later.

Liverpool squandered chances when Mohamed Salah headed wide from Trent Alexander-Arnold’s delivery and Sadio Mane shot wide on the turn.

Mane also miscued an attempted overhead kick in front of the Bayern goal and Matip sent the ball wide from Roberto Firmino’s cutback before halftime.

“We had enough chances,” Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson said. “I feel, especially in the first half, to score one or two.” AP