Bayern lost 2-3 to the English Premier League giants in Manchester on Wednesday night, but got through to the semi-finals due to away goals after winning the first leg in Munich 2-1 last week.

Though United dominated Bayern in the first half to go up three goals, the Bundesliga side managed to close the gap with a strike by Croatian forward Ivica Olic just before the break.

Bayern returned to the pitch with new determination and Dutch winger Arjen Robben sealed United’s exit from Europe’s top club competition with an unstoppable volley in the 74th minute.

But it was the ejection from Manchester’s youthful Rafael five minutes into the second half that kept Ferguson from losing gracefully, saying after the match that Bayern players had urged the referee to show him a second yellow card after he tugged on Ribery’s jersey.

“They got him sent off,” Ferguson moaned according to The Guardian. “There’s no doubt about that and they would have never won if we had 11 men. Typical Germans.”

The legendary United manager, who oversaw the crushing injury-time defeat of Bayern in the 1999 Champions League final, also accused Munich players of targeting Wayne Rooney’s injured ankle.

“I think that’s obvious,” he said. “I don’t think there was anything serious, but there were a couple of challenges. We expected that, and the referee should have handled it.”

Unable to face that a feisty Bavarian side had come back from behind in both legs to advance to the semi-finals, Ferguson said Bayern had been “lucky” and unworthy to beat United.

“I don’t think the best team got through,” he said.

Bayern’s Dutch coach Louis van Gaal naturally didn’t agree with the glum Scotsman.

“I think Sir Alex was disappointed,” he said. “But I also thought England was noted for fairness and I’ve now been confronted with three different comments and that’s not what I call fair play.”

Bayern will now face French side Olympique Lyon later this month for a berth in the final.