Brilliant Bayern push Porto aside
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
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FC Bayern München 6-1 FC Porto (agg: 7-4)
The home side scored five times in the first half, Robert Lewandowski getting two, to reach a fourth straight semi-final with comfort.
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• Bayern storm into fourth straight semi-final by overwhelming Porto in Munich
• Thiago Alcántara and Jérôme Boateng wipe out first-leg deficit
• Robert Lewandowski scores twice and Thomas Müller once before half-time
• Jackson Martínez gets consolation but Xabi Alonso curls in late free-kick
• The semi-final draw takes place in Nyon from 12.00CET on Friday
FC Bayern München eased into the UEFA Champions League semi-finals for the fourth year in a row, making light of both FC Porto and their own history with a dominant attacking display.
The German champions faced a two-goal deficit but were level on aggregate before a quarter of the match had elapsed, Thiago Alcántara and Jérôme Boateng heading them into a two-goal cushion on the night. Robert Lewandowski added two more either side of Thomas Müller's deflected effort and, though Jackson Martínez scored a consolation for Porto, Bayern cruised through. Xabi Alonso added a late sixth after Porto's Iván Marcano had collected his second yellow card of the game.
Beaten 3-1 in Portugal last week, Bayern were up against it – and had never before overturned a two-goal first-leg away defeat in UEFA competition. Josep Guardiola's team bristled with intent from the outset, however, and came close to halving their aggregate arrears in the tenth minute, Müller racing onto Lewandowski's through pass. Fabiano made his first save but Lewandowski was first to the rebound; at full stretch, his effort came back off the post.
Bayern's breakthrough was not long delayed. Mario Götze kept the ball alive from the left and found Juan Bernat to deliver a perfect cross, Thiago's header leaving Fabiano with no chance. Eight minutes later it was 2-0, Holger Badstuber nodding Thiago's right-wing corner back across goal and Boateng's powerful leap preceding a header that crept inside Fabiano's left-hand post.
The home side were relentless, and in the 27th minute they moved in front in the tie for the first time. When Philipp Lahm retrieved possession on the right and his cross was volleyed on by Müller, Lewandowski powered in the headed opportunity.
If Bayern's first goals had all been well worked, the fourth carried an air of fortune. Thiago picked up the ball just inside the Porto half and moved it on to Müller, whose 25-metre shot deflected off Bruno Martins Indi to wrongfoot Fabiano.
The goalscorer was involved again as Bayern made it five in the 40th minute – the third time they have registered five in the first half of a UEFA Champions League match – cutting the ball back for Lewandowski. The Pole showed quick feet to create space and fired unerringly past Fabiano.
Perhaps not surprisingly, the pace of Bayern's game dropped in the second half and Porto took advantage to belatedly get a foothold in the contest. It became more than that when Jackson turned in Hector Herrera's centre. The Colombian had another golden opening moments later but his drive flashed just wide, and with that Porto's glimmer of hope had gone.
Instead it was Bayern who crowned their recovery with a fine sixth goal after Marcano had received his second caution for bringing down Thiago. Alonso completed a memorable night in Munich by curling the free-kick beyond Fabiano.
