Klose escapes red card and off-side flag to stun Fiorentina

Bayern Munich 2 Fiorentina 1

Bayern Munich clinched a controversial 2-1 win over 10-man Fiorentina here last night to give them a slender advantage going into the second leg of their Champions League tie.

Arjen Robben put Bayern ahead with a penalty on the stroke of half time, but Per Kroldrup gave Fiorentina a deserved equaliser five minutes into the second half.

Referee Tom Henning Ovrebro then harshly sent Massimo Gobbi off for an innocuous tackle before allowing Miroslav Klose to remain on the field for a much more dangerous challenge.

To rub salt into Fiorentina's wounds, it was Klose who nodded in the winner while clearly off-side.

Given their recent Serie A form and the fact Bayern have won their last 12 games, Fiorentina came into the game as clear underdogs.

Mario Gomez had Bayern's only chance of the first half in the 13th minute when he shot straight at Sebastien Frey from a tight angle.

In the second half, Ovrebro showed an inexplicable red card to Gobbi for merely obstructing Robben. Minutes later, the official only showed yellow to Klose when he lunged at Felipe with a dangerous two-footed challenge.

The referee then allowed Klose's headed goal in the last minute to stand despite the fact the German was at least two yards offside.

Bayern Munich Butt, Lahm, Van Buyten, Demichelis, Badstuber, Robben, Van Bommel, Schweinsteiger, Ribery, Gomez, Muller. Substitutes: Rensing, Altintop, Olic, Klose, Pranjic, Contento, Tymoschuk.

Fiorentina Frey, De Silvestri, Kroldrup, Natali, Gobbi, Montolivo, Bolatti, Marchionni, Jovetic, Vargas, Gilardino. Substitutes: Avramov, Donadel, Felipe, Pasqual, Comotto, Keirrison, Carraro.

Referee: T H Ovrebo (Norway)