Robert Lewandowski scored a hat-trick on his 100th Champions League appearance as Bayern Munich booked their place in the 2021/22 UEFA Champions League knockouts with two games to spare, courtesy of a 5-2 win over Benfica.

Bayern Munich 5-2 Benfica
Goals: 1-0 Lewandowski 26’ (assist: Coman), 2-0 Gnabry 31’ (assist: Lewandowski), 2-1 Morato 38’ (assist: Grimaldo), 3-1 Sane 51’ (assist: Davies), 4-1 Lewandowski 61’ (assist: Sane), 4-2 Nunez 74’ (assist: Joao Mario), 5-2 Lewandowski 84’ (assist: Neuer)

Bayern won the reverse fixture 4-0, but were given an early scare when Benfica scored from a corner, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside. The record champions heeded the warning, and took the lead as Lewandowski headed home Kingsley Coman's back-post cross. Five minutes later, Lewandowski turned provider for Serge Gnabry for 2-0. Benfica became the first team to score against Bayern in this season’s competition as Morato headed past Manuel Neuer following a short-corner routine, before Lewandowski saw a penalty saved by former VfB Stuttgart goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos.

Bayern went up a gear after the restart, with Joshua Kimmich, Coman and Alphonso Davies combining for Leroy Sane to slam in an exquisite volley. Lewandowski then made amends for his penalty miss by dinking the ball over Vlachodimos, with Kimmich again the catalyst and Sane supplying the final pass. Benfica substitute Darwin Nunez pulled a goal back against the run of play, but the day belonged to Bayern and Lewandowski. With five minutes remaining, the Poland international collected Neuer's long punt and lifted over Vlachodimos to complete his hat-trick and send Bayern into the last 16.

Match stats

• Lewandowski's 81 goals in the competition are the most by any active player after 100 appearances. Only Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have outscored Lewandowski in the tournament's history.
• With 17 goals, Bayern are the current top-scoring team in the Champions League.
• Sane has produced four goals and four assists in as many Champions League outings so far this season.
• Neuer registered his second assist in 448 Bayern appearances.
• Davies celebrated his 21st Birthday with his first Champions League assist since schooling Nelson Semedo in the 2019/20 quarter-finals.
• Coman has scored or assisted in three successive competitive appearances.

Line-ups

Bayern: Neuer (c) - Pavard, Nianzou, Upamecano, Davies (Richards 64’) – Kimmich (Sabitzer 72’), Goretzka – Gnabry (Sarr 85’), Sane (Müller 72’), Coman (Musiala 64’) – Lewandowski
Unused subs: Cuisance, Früchlt, Roca, Stanisic, Tolisso
Out: Choupo-Moting (thigh), Ulreich (knee)
Coach: Julian Nagelsmann

Benfica: Vlachodimos - Gilberto, Verissimo, Vertonghen, Morato - Mario, Meite, Grimaldo - Pizzi (c) (Silva 64’), Yaremchuk (Nunez 64’), Everton (Goncalves 64’)
Unused subs: Leite, Fernandes, Bernardo, Otamendi, Radonjic, Ramos, Ferro Svilar, Weigl
Out: Almeida (muscular), Dias (muscular), Lazaro (muscular), Pinho (knee), Seferovic (muscular)
Coach: Jorge de Jesus

As it happened!

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