Soccer: Bayern shatter United's Euro dreams

Giovane Elber and Mehmet Scholl grabbed the first-half goals that destroyed Manchester United's dreams of Champions League glory in the Olympic Stadium.

Elber gave Bayern a fifth-minute lead and Scholl struck six minutes before the break to leave United trailing 3-0 on aggregate, and all but down and out.

Ryan Giggs threw United a lifeline when he pulled a goal back four minutes into the second half.

But United still had a mountain to climb and it proved beyond them as Bayern soaked up the pressure with keeper Oliver Kahn denying Giggs and Paul Scholes with vital saves.

United, who trailed 1-0 going into the quarter-final second leg, ought to have been dead and buried by half time but Carsten Jancker wasted two glorious chances after Elber's opener, rattling the crossbar with one effort and blasting another straight at Fabien Barthez.

United's best chances of the first half fell to Andy Cole.

The England striker's close-range toe poke from a Giggs corner was cleared off the line by Scholl and, on the stroke of half time, Kahn clawed away a low drive.

Bayern's impressive home record in Europe meant United needed a solid start but Elber quickly doubled the Germans' aggregate lead.

Tarnat found space behind Gary Neville on the left and although Carsten Jancker failed to apply the finishing touch at the near post, Elber was lurking at the back post and his left-foot shot flashed into the net off the underside of the bar.

It was the worst possible start for United and only the woodwork prevented Bayern from taking a 2-0 lead on the night.

Jancker raced into the penalty area and unleashed a fierce right-foot drive which beat Barthez only to slam against the crossbar and rebound to safety.

Bayern defender Samuel Kuffour almost threw United a lifeline in the 13th minute when he underhit a back-pass and Yorke closed in for the kill but Kahn was quickly off his line to block.

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson had made two changes from his starting line-up at Old Trafford with Nicky Butt coming in for the suspended David Beckham and Dwight Yorke starting ahead of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Scholes had an optimistic appeal for a 17th-minute penalty turned down when Patrik Andersson blocked his penalty area run.

Within a minute Jancker squandered another glorious chance to fire Bayern 2-0 up.

Wes Brown was guilty of a dreadful blunder, his weak header leaving Jancker one-on-one with Barthez. But the big striker blasted his shot straight at the Frenchman and United breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Bayern had an injury scare in the 19th minute when Cole, looking to apply the finishing touch to a Mikael Silvestre cross from the left, accidentally caught Kahn with his knee.

The giant keeper laid motionless for several minutes and looked extremely groggy when he eventually struggled to his feet but, after receiving treatment, he opted to play on.

United enjoyed a spell of pressure which culminated in Giggs' 33rd-minute cross finding Scholes unmarked on the right edge of the Bayern area but his right-foot volley flashed wide.

A minute later Jancker, who had been struggling with an injury, limped off and was replaced by Alexander Zickler.

United almost equalised when Keane's glancing near-post header from a Giggs corner was toe-poked goalwards by Cole on the edge of the six-yard box but Scholl was on hand to clear off the line.

United's night went from bad to worse in the 39th minute when Scholl made it 2-0 on the night.

Jen Jeremies broke from midfield and when Elber helped on his cross Gary Neville blocked Zickler's attempted shot only for the ball to break invitingly for Scholl, who steered a low shot inside Barthez's right-hand post.

Cole almost got United back in it on the stroke of half time when he drilled in a low right-foot drive, but Kahn got down well to claw the ball away.

Four minutes into the second half Giggs gave United a flicker of hope when he pulled a goal back to make it 2-1 on the night.

The Welshman raced on to Scholes' volleyed through ball, his pace taking him clear of the Bayern defence, and coolly lobbed left-footed over the advancing Kahn.

It was the perfect tonic for United but they were in danger of conceding a third goal in the 56th minute when Zickler was felled by Brown's mistimed tackle inside the D.

However, Bayern wasted the chance, Effenberg tapping sideways to Andersson, giving the United wall plenty of time to advance and block.

Giggs almost grabbed a spectacular equaliser for United on the hour, unleashing a curling left-foot volley that looked destined for the top right corner but Kahn, at full stretch, tipped over at the expense of a corner.

Yorke and Andersson suffered a clash of heads in the 63rd minute which left both requiring treatment for gashes.

While Andersson had touchline running repairs before returning to the fray, Bayern brought on Santa Cruz for Elber and United replaced Yorke with Teddy Sheringham.

Sheringham had a volley blocked by Kuffour at the expense of a corner as United battled hard to salvage the tie.

Then, when Gary Neville's cross into the box was nodded down by Sheringham, the falling Kuffour appeared to impede Cole, but the United striker's appeal for a penalty was ignored.

United brought on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for Butt in the 78th minute and immediately Zickler broke and sent a fierce drive whistling just over the bar.

Sheringham was making an impact on the Germans' defence and he fought his way to the byline before delivering an inviting cross but Cole, arriving at the near post, could not apply the finishing touch.

Scholes' dipping volley was tipped over by Kahn and Sheringham scooped his shot on the turn high and wide as United turned the screw.

United were stretching themselves and Scholl almost punished them, turning Brown inside out and dragging a low shot inches wide of the far post.

Bayern felt they should have had a penalty when Zickler broke clear and was sent tumbling by Silvestre but the referee waved play on.

United brought on Luke Chadwick for Brown in the 85th minute as Ferguson threw caution to the wind but Sheringham squandered another chance, volleying wide from Giggs' pinpoint pass.