Robert Lewandowski on target as Bayern Munich beat Lazio to book UEFA Champions League quarter-final place
Robert Lewandowski scored again as Bayern Munich swept Lazio aside 6-2 on aggregate to join Borussia Dortmund in Friday's draw for the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League.
Bayern Munich 2-1 Lazio (6-2 aggregate)
Goals: 1-0 Lewandowski (pen. 33'), 2-0 Choupo-Moting (73'), 2-1 Parolo (82')
With Alexander Nübel in goal for the ill Manuel Neuer, Bayern set about finishing the job against a Lazio side who left out their top goalscorer Ciro Immobile, even though they needed to score at least four goals to stand a chance of progressing. That calculation would only work if Bayern did not add to the four goals they scored in Rome, yet it was the Bundesliga leaders who almost opened the scoring within 10 minutes as Leroy Sane flashed a shot wide of former Bayern goalkeeper Pepe Reina's post. Sane appeared keen on getting his name on the scoresheet first as he sent in Bayern's next shot, again missing the target, before Lewandowski obliged with the opener from the penalty spot after Leon Goretzka was hauled down by Vedat Muriqi.
It was Sane who inadvertently got in the way of Lewandowski's goalbound shot within a minute of the restart, as Bayern sought to turn the screw on the night and in the tie. Lazio, meanwhile, reverted to damage limitation mode, although Lewandowski still found room to strike a low drive against the base of the left-hand post from just outside the penalty area. Nübel was finally given some work to do with 20 minutes left, blocking Joaquin Correa's shot before the offside flag was raised anyway, and it took only a few minutes more for Bayern to double their lead. David Alaba slid a pass through for Choupo-Moting, who showed the composure of the man he had just replaced - Lewandowski - to slot in his second Champions League goal of the season. There was to be a minor blot on the Bayern copybook when the unmarked Marco Parolo headed in from a free-kick, but it was merely cosmetic as the defending champions breezed into the quarter-finals.
Match stats
- Lewandowski scored his 39th goal of the season in 35 games in all competitions, and he has scored at least one in each of his last seven outings.
- For the ninth successive season, Lewandowski has scored at least five goals in the Champions League.
- Flick extended his unbeaten record in the Champions League to 16 games, including 15 wins. Under his guidance, Bayern have scored 54 goals and conceded just 10.
- Bayern have scored more goals in the Champions League so far this season (24) than any other side; last season they were the competition's top scorers with 43.
- Bayern are through to their ninth Champions League quarter-finals in the past 10 years.
Line-ups
Bayern: Nübel - Pavard, Boateng (Süle 46'), Alaba, Hernandez - Kimmich (Martinez 77'), Goretzka (Davies 64') - Sane, Müller (c) (Musiala 71'), Gnabry - Lewandowski (Choupo-Moting 71')
Unused subs: Schneller, Sarr, Roca
Out: Costa (metatarsal), Hoffmann (knee), Neuer (cold), Nianzou (thigh), Tolisso (thigh)
Coach: Hansi Flick
Lazio: Reina - Marusic, Acerbi, Radu - Lazarri (Parolo 57'), Milinkovic-Savic (c), Escalante (Akpa-Akpro 84'), Alberto (Cataldi 75'), Fares (Lulic 46') - Muriqi (Pereira 56'), Correa
Unused subs: Strakosha, Patric, Leiva, Hoedt, Immobile, Mussachio
Out: Anderson (ineligible), Felipe (ankle)
Coach: Simone Inzaghi
As it happened!
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