Bayern Munich 1-0 win over Maccabi Haifa

Bayern Munich kept alive their hopes of reaching the last 16 of the Champions League with a 1-0 win over Maccabi Haifa at the Allianz Arena.

Ivica Olic provided the only goal of the game midway through the second half, tapping home from a rebound after Maccabi keeper Nir Davidovitch could only parry Mario Gomez's venomous shot to the side.
Bayern twice went close to extending their lead through Thomas Mueller and Mark van Bommel, though the three points from this match, together with Bordeaux's 2-0 win over Juventus, leaves the door open for the German giants to qualify should they beat the Italians in Turin in a fortnight's time.
Any remote hopes Maccabi had of snatching a UEFA Cup spot are now over, and they remain without a point or a goal in Group A.
Again deprived of wing wizards Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery, Bayern struggled for attacking inspiration in a first half that saw them leave the field to a chorus of boos from the home fans.
Gomez passed up the best opportunity of the half on 17 minutes, prodding the ball wide after Bayern's midfield for once found themselves on the same wavelength, with Phillip Lahm, Mueller and Van Bommel all combining to set up the club's record signing.

Though industrious, Maccabi struggled to string enough passes together to really test the Bayern defence, though Eyal Meshumar's dipping shot midway through the half forced Hans-Joerg Butt into an awkward save, and prompted nervous whisperings from the hushed Bayern faithful.
Danijel Pranjic and Bastian Schweinsteiger showed a couple of moments of class, the latter producing a gorgeous through ball that Olic ended up thumping straight at Davidovitch, though that was as good as it got in terms of attacking cohesion from Louis van Gaal's men before the break.
The impressive Yaniv Katan fired another warning shot to Bayern with a left-foot volley that fizzed over the bar within moments of the restart, while Schweinsteiger skimmed the top of Davidovitch's bar with a well-struck free-kick on 50 minutes.
Pranjic and Schweinsteiger again saw goalbound shots blocked as the game began to come to life, though it was left to Olic to bring the fans out of their seats with the only goal of the game.
Van Bommel's excellent ball through the middle found Gomez in space, and though the Germany international's shot was parried by Davidovitch, Olic reacted quickest to sidefoot home the rebound from close range.
Seemingly buoyed by the far more vocal and content home fans, Bayern went in search of a second, with Mueller and Van Bommel driving shots past the post in quick succession.
Maccabi's goal threat has all but evaporated by now, with Daniel Van Buyten and Martin Demichelis imperious in the centre of defence, and a skied effort from substitute Eyal Golasa was as close as they came to grabbing an unlikely point.