Bayern overwhelm Olympiacos to ease through
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
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Bayern München 4-0 Olympiacos
Goals in the first 20 minutes from Douglas Costa, Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Müller wrapped up the win as Bayern progressed in style.
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- Bayern München make it 17 Group F goals in securing progress against Olympiacos
- Bayern 3-0 up after 20 minutes, Douglas Costa opening the scoring (8)
- Robert Lewandowski (16) and Thomas Müller (20) effectively seal points
- Kingsley Coman on target in second half after Holger Badstuber's red card
- Final Group F games: Dinamo Zagreb v Bayern, Olympiacos v Arsenal (9 December)
Bayern München produced yet another devastating display in Munich, putting Olympiacos out of sight within 20 minutes and cruising into the UEFA Champions League round of 16 as Group F winners with a game to spare.
Josep Guardiola had asked for an early goal and his team delivered that and more. Eight minutes in, Douglas Costa latched onto the loose ball after Jérôme Boateng's shot had been saved to tuck the rebound into the far corner of the net. Moments before, Felipe Pardo had been unable to find the final pass after breaking into the Bayern penalty area, and Olympiacos were swiftly made to regret that.
Sixteen minutes in the hosts made it two, Robert Lewandowski reacting quickest to Kingsley Coman's blocked effort to slot expertly past Roberto from the edge of the box.
Thomas Müller added the third four minutes later, tapping into an empty net. Coman once again featured; his miscued volley was nodded across goal by Arjen Robben, setting up Müller's fifth goal in this season's competition.
Bayern's momentum might have been checked eight minutes into the second period when Holger Badstuber, on his first start since April after a thigh injury, fouled Ideye Brown and was sent off.
Olympiacos looked to exploit the one-man advantage, but failed to create any clear-cut chances. Instead Bayern claimed a fourth goal, Müller turning provider with a chip that Coman bravely headed in for his first UEFA Champions League goal.
Key player: Kingsley Coman
The young French forward looked dangerous all night on the wing and was involved at crucial moments for Bayern, contributing to both Lewandowski and Müller's goals before scoring himself.
All-out attacking
Bayern are the competition's leading marksmen with 17 goals. Müller and Lewandowski usually steal the headlines, but Bayern were an attacking threat from all areas. Costa broke the deadlock while Coman had a hand in three goals.
Early goals
For the third consecutive home match in the section, Bayern put the game out of sight in the first half. As against Dinamo Zagreb and Arsenal, the hosts struck within the opening 15 minutes, quickly extending their lead.