Bayern run rampage at Roma
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Article summary
AS Roma 1-7 FC Bayern München
Both sides ended the night with record-breaking results as the German champions pummelled their main Group E rivals.
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• Arjen Robben opens scoring after nine minutes.
• Bayern four up inside 30 minutes; Mario Götze, Robert Lewandowski and Robben again
• Thomas Müller makes it five from the spot before half-time
• Gervinho consolation for Roma; Franck Ribéry and Xherdan Shaqiri complete rout
• Next games: Bayern v Roma (5 November)
FC Bayern München assumed a commanding position in UEFA Champions League Group E with a comprehensive 7-1 win at AS Roma.
Arjen Robben, Mario Götze, Robert Lewandowski and Robben again gave Bayern an unassailable lead inside half an hour with Thomas Müller's penalty compounding the Serie A side's woes five minutes later. Gervinho netted a consolation in the second half, but further goals from Franck Ribéry and Xherdan Shaqiri completed Roma heaviest ever European loss – and Bayern's biggest continental away win.
Both sides lined up with attack-minded starting XIs, although Bayern coach Josep Guardiola had a particular trick in mind, giving Robben a deep role until enough time had passed for the Roma defence to forget about him. Then, the Dutchman popped up inside the box and delivered his party piece, cutting past Ashley Cole onto his deadly left foot and curling his shot unstoppably past Morgan De Sanctis into the far corner.
Gervinho was denied by Manuel Neuer as Roma nearly levelled instantly, but it then became a monologue. Bayern sliced through the Giallorossi defence with Götze taking a few stepovers before exchanging passes with Thomas Müller and slotting a finish low past De Sanctis.
De Sanctis was fishing the ball out of his net again within minutes when Lewandowski was afforded too much room to head in Juan Bernat's inch-perfect cross, and the game was practically over as a contest on the half-hour mark when Lewandowski teed up Robben, who again lost his marker, Cole, and beat De Sanctis, this time inside his near post.
Worse was to come for Roma when David Alaba's low cross struck Kostas Manolas' arm and a penalty was awarded. Only 35 minutes had been played, and Müller stroked in Bayern's fifth from the penalty spot.
Gervinho struck the post and substitute Alessandro Florenzi was denied by Neuer as Roma provided a reaction of sorts early in the second half. Neuer thwarted Roma's Ivory Coast forward again before having to accept defeat from a close-range header as Gervinho got his and Roma's consolation.
Ribéry then added a sixth for Bayern, lobbing De Sanctis, before Shaqiri supplied the finishing touch as Roma fell to a familiar result – 7-1, the same margin as their heaviest away defeat, at Manchester United FC in 2007.