Dante played in ski boots – Beckenbauer

The Bayern Munich legend was unhappy with the overall performance against Porto but reserved his harshest words for the Brazil defender

Franz Beckenbauer singled out Dante for criticism after a “black night” for Bayern Munich against Porto, accusing the defender of appearing to play in ski boots.

The World Cup winner did not hold back in a withering assessment of Pep Guardiola’s side, who went down 3-1 at Estadio do Dragao in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie.

Two early Ricardo Quaresma goals – the first from the penalty spot – after some calamitous defending set the tone and, although Thiago Alcantara pulled one back, another blunder allowed Jackson Martinez to complete Bayern’s misery.

Beckenbauer told Sky: “I have not seen a single Bayern player who showed his normal form. It was a black night. Sometimes this happens and it happened tonight.

“When you have a keeper playing badly or a defender playing badly that is not unusual. But in this match they all ‘worked together’ to achieve this result.”

Quaresma’s second came after he dispossessed Dante before running on to finish past Manuel Neuer. It was not the first time the Brazil international has been guilty of lax defending this season and Beckenbauer was not impressed.

“If he was from Iceland or the North Pole, I’d say ‘okay, he is still wearing his ski boots’. But no, he simply has to stop the ball.”

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