BAYERN MUNICH 3, MAN UNITED 1 (Bayern won 4-2 on aggregate)
For a few brief seconds Manchester United dared to dream of causing a major Champions League upset.
When Patrice Evra put the Reds ahead in the Allianz Arena, it looked for a moment as though the Reds might pull off the unthinkable and knockout reigning European champions Bayern Muncih.
The 57th minute goal only served, however, to provide a wake-up call for the Germans who produced a stunning riposte to claim their place in the semi finals.
It took only 22 seconds from the restart for Mario Mandzukic to equalise while other goals from Thomas Muller and Arjen Robben sealed their exit.
And with their elimination came the last remaining chance of competing in the Champions League in 2014/15, a tournament in which they have featured in for 18 consecutive seasons.
They needed to win the competition to qualify as a top-four finish in the Premier League is now out of the question.
It was another disappointing night for United manager David Moyes who said: “I thought the players did a great job. The only crime was conceding a goal after we scored within 30 seconds. That was the biggest crime.
“We have a team full of experienced players and it’s the sort of thing you learn as a schoolboy – once you score, don’t concede and be in a position and do your job.
“We concentrated so fabulously well through the game so to give away the goal was disappointing.”
In the opening half Bayern, who drew 1-1 at Old Trafford the previous week, didn’t have a shot on target as United defended admirably.
And their night became even better 12 minutes after the restart when left-back Evra scored his first-ever Champions League goal, a stunning strike from outside the box high into the roof of the net.
Bayern’s response was instant as Mandzukic’s equaliser heralded the start of a 17-minute spell in which they scored three times to seal their passage to the last four.
Mandzukic headed the leveller from a Franck Ribery cross as United’s defence was exposed as was also the case with Bayern’s second.
Evra failed to cut out a cross from Robben enabling Muller to get in front of Nemanja Vidic to stab the ball low past keeper David De Gea.
And the misery was completed as Robben cut inside Evra before seeing his shot deflect off Vidic low past De Gea.