Robert Lewandowski nets treble as Bayern Munich oust Salzburg to reach UEFA Champions League quarter-finals
Robert Lewandowski's superb first-half hat-trick propelled Bayern Munich towards the UEFA Champions League last eight, with Serge Gnabry, Leroy Sane and a Thomas Müller double adding to the Bavarians' last-16 second leg triumph against Salzburg.
The first-leg of this Round of 16 tie - which ended 1-1 - was a thrilling spectacle and the end-to-end action immediately spilled over into the return encounter. Lewandowski set the early tone with a low shot that Philipp Köhn did well to stop. Moments later, Nicolas Capaldo looked certain to score from Karim Adeyemi's cut-back, only for Kingsley Coman to deflect the Argentinian's shot wide. Having scored in their previous 29 Champions League games, Bayern seemed certain to extend that record in such an open encounter. Indeed, the hosts were offered the perfect opportunity to take the lead when Maximilian Wöber tripped the spinning Lewandowski in the Salzburg box. The prolific Pole lashed home his 40th goal of the campaign, and would make it 41 once again from the penalty spot after Wöber proved the fouling culprit once more. The visitors had been hoping to become the first Austrian side to reach the Champions League quarter-finals, but those hopes were extinguished when Lewandowski raced past the demoralised Köhn before tapping in after the ball had hit the woodwork. It had taken the phenomenal forward just eleven minutes to net his treble, the quickest from a starting player in the Champions League era. Gnabry added to the festivities, just after the half-hour mark, firing under the 'keeper from the right.
Visiting coach Matthias Jaissle rang the changes, but the rhythm remained the same after the restart. Lewandowski sniffed for his team's fifth, but it was Müller who would ultimately provide it in fine style. Accepting a pass from Sane, the space invader brilliantly worked himself some room before shooting an unstoppable effort past the diving Köhn. The scoreboard showed the hosts 6-1 in front on aggregate, but the Austrian champions would at least manage some cheer, reducing the arrears through Maurits Kjærgaard's thumping drive that went in at the returning Manuel Neuer's near post. The outcome never in doubt, Müller steered in Sane's assist before the latter bagged one for himself before the end to send Julian Nagelsmann's side comfortably through to the last eight.
Match stats
Lewandowski scored the quickest UEFA Champions League hat-trick for a starting player, beating Marco Simone's previous best of 24 minutes for Milan against Rosenborg in 1996.
The Pole has reached 85 Champions League goals in just 104 games, faster than Lionel Messi (107 games) and Cristiano Ronaldo (121) managed.
He is now the tournament's top scorer with 12 goals this season.
After Ronaldo (seven) and Messi (five), Lewandowski is only the third player to score 10 or more goals in three or more different Champions League campaigns.
This was the seventh time Bayern have scored seven or more in a Champions League game – a competition record.
Sane has five goals and six assists in this season's Champions League.
Champions League Round of 16 Round of 16 Allianz Arena
90'
BAYERN REACH QUARTER-FINALS!
Wow! Bayern win at a canter to book their place in the Champions League quarter-finals. Lewandowski's 23-minute hat-trick set them on course for a crushing 7-1 triumph - they'll take some beating in the latter stages of the competition.
Full-time
86'
SEVENTH HEAVEN!
Bayern strike again! Müller's at the heart of the move, but it's Lewandowski's cute back-heel that sets up Sane for a thunderous finish from inside the area. Sensational.
Thomas Müller doubles up for the night. He starts the move with a quick interchange involving Lewandowski, before moving it into the box for Sane. The Raumdeuter knows what's coming next, making a stealth move to steer the return pass into the net with a first-time left-footed finish.
Bayern have enjoyed over 70 percent possession. They’ve hit the mark with 89 percent of their attempted passes, and scored five from seven shots on goal.
76'
DENIED!
Müller pokes a ball into the six-yard area, but Köhn gets there ahead of Sane. That's more like it from Bayern. They've taken their foot off the gas in the last 15 minutes or so.
70'
CONSOLATION GOAL
Bayern, with all those changes, are caught out in the transition. Aaronson pulls away from Nianzou and finds Kjaergaard to his left on the edge of the area. The 18-year-old has the entire goal to aim for, and leaves Neuer with no chance, with a ferocious hit into the top corner.
Jaissle rotates his front line. They've fed on scraps all night long in Munich. Tough homecoming for Adeyemi, who spent two years at Bayern between the ages of eight and 10.
Coman darts towards the byline with the ball at his feet. The cross is blocked behind for a corner, taken by Kimmich. Müller meets it, looping a header straight at Köhn. Awkward one to get right.
57'
NEUER ON HIS TOES
Salzburg look long for Adamu, bur Neuer is out of his box in a flash to steer the ball to a teammate. Nobody does it better.
54'
FIVE!!!
Bayern don't take long to extend their lead. Müller controls in a central position and continues his run. Kimmich slips the ball to Sane, who finds Müller just inside the area. He rolls his man and fires a left-footed strike across Köhn and into the back of the net.
Sarr's looked lively since coming on. He gets round Ulmer, before whipping a cross into the arms of Köhn. The Senegal international doesn't get many opportunities - can he play his way into Nagelsmann's first-team thoughts?
48'
BLOCKED!
Lewandowski lets fly from 18 yards, but his shot is blocked behind for a corner that comes to nothing. No let-up from Bayern...
46'
CHANCE FOR SARR
Bouna Sarr is on at right-back, the Africa Cup of Nations winner making his 27th appearance for Bayern. Gnabry gets a rest, fresh from scoring his 12th Champions League goal.
Bayern are in the mood, folks. They lead 4-0 at the break, and 5-1 on aggregate, thanks to Lewandowski's hat-trick and a Gnabry strike. Electric.
Half-time
44'
TIME ADDED ON
Sixty seconds for Salzburg to endure. They must be dreading the second half...
TOP OF THE SHOTS
Lewandowski is now the top scorer in this season's Champions League, with 12 goals. Ex-Frankfurt striker Sebastien Haller, now of Ajax, is next with 10.
Pavard with a backwards header from a corner, but it drops agonisingly wide of the far post. Köhn was nowhere near it.
37'
LEWY CHANCE!
Lewandowski collects from Müller on the edge of the area. He bends goalwards, but it goes just over. How many do you think he'll scored today?
35'
BAYERN BOSSING IT
Eight shots, four goals and 71 percent possession. It could hardly have gone much better for Julian Nagelsmann's troupe...
34'
ROUTINE SAVE
Ulmer's 20-yard effort is no trouble for Neuer. Salzburg must be ruing that early chance for Capaldo.
31'
GNABRY ADDS A FOURTH!
Bayern force the mistake as Musiala advances and has a shot blocked. Coman collects and feeds Gnabry, who drives low and hard under Köhn, who gets a hand to the effort, but can't keep it out. Bayern in cruise control.
The best player in the world, ladies and gentleman. Lewandowski gets his head to Neuer's long punt up towards halfway. Müller helps it on to Sane, and gets it back, before sending a through-ball into the run of Lewandowski. Köhn gets there first on the edge of the area, but kicks the ball against Lewy's shin. The Bayern No.9 tracks it all the way as it comes back off the woodwork, and has the easy task of cushioning the rebound over the line.
A VAR review deems that foul to have taken place inside the box. Lewandowski to take...
19'
LEWANDOWSKI LIVELY
When isn't he, we know? Wöber has just hauled the Bayern striker down, right on the edge of the Salzburg area. He can't handle him.
14'
MANUUUUUU!
Big, big save from Neuer. He throws up a firm right hand to keep out Seiwald's stinging shot that was bound for the top corner. The Bayern captain gets both hands to the ensuing corner, too.
13'
LEWANDOWSKI SPOT ON
Lewandowski sends Köhn the wrong way to put Bayern 1-0 up on the night, and 2-1 to the good on aggregate. That's his 40th competitive goal of the season. It's only March!
Lewandowski controls a Coman cross into the box. He turns to face goal, but is tugged back by Wöber. Clear spot-kick...
10'
LOOSE
We've just seen some uncharacteristic errors from Sane, Musiala and Müller. The Salzburg press is intense.
7'
SANE SIGHTER
After Salzburg clear a Kimmich corner, Bayern recover possession and work it back to Sane. The space opens up for the Bayern No.10, who arrows a good few yards wide from distance. Worth a go, with a left foot like his.
3'
COMAN TO THE RESCUE!
Musiala loses out on the Bayern right. Adeyemi goes into the box and crosses for Capaldo. He sidefoots goalwards from the penalty spot, but Coman slides in from nowhere to deflect it behind. The Frenchman - scorer of a 90th-minute equaliser in the first leg - must have covered a good 60 yards to get back!
2'
LEWANDOWSKI!
Bayern with the first chance! Müller exchanges passes with Sane... it's played into the box for Lewandowski, who controls well and forces a diving save out of Köhn.
1'
UNDER WAY!
Salzburg get the ball rolling. The away-goals rule is no more, remember, so if it's all square after 90 minutes, we'll have extra-time and the prospect of penalties.
Kick-off!
TEAMS OUT
The Champions League anthem blares out around the Allianz Arena. Bayern are all in red, Salzburg in white with grey sleeves. Kick-off is moments away...
STORY SO FAR
Bayern won all six games in the groups for the second time. They first achieved the feat in 2019/20, when they went on to lift their sixth Champions League title. Salzburg claimed 10 points in Group G (W3, D1, L2), finishing as runners-up behind Lille. The Austrian champions are bidding to reach the quarter-finals for the first time in their history.
NAGELSMANN WARY
"Salzburg will try to put us under pressure, especially in the early stages of the game. It's the RB way of hustling and harrying opponents - in a good way - in a game, and we have to be prepared for that. Salzburg have been a good side for years now. They're a dangerous team. We need to be right on our game."
THE JAISSLE VIEW
"We are the underdogs and are playing one of the best teams in Europe. Bayern want to win the Champions League. We know what's in store for us - a real test. Bayern have a squad with top, top players."
GOAL BROKERS
Bayern have scored exactly double the number of goals in the Champions League (550) as they have conceded (275). None of the other 146 clubs to have played in the competition (group stage to final) has scored more than twice as many as they have conceded.
TOURNAMENT PEDIGREE
Bayern have nine wins in their previous 10 ties at this stage in the Champions League, and an overall last-16 record of W13, L4. The six-time continental champions are also 10 games unbeaten against Austrian clubs, winning all three of their two-legged knockout meetings with teams a short hop over the Bavarian border. What's more, they've won all five home matches against Austrian visitors, scoring 15 goals and conceding only three, and have come out on top in all but three of their 24 UEFA ties in which they drew the first leg away from home.
MÜLLER ON NEUER AURA
Bayern have kept just one clean sheet in the five games Neuer has missed through injury - a fact not lost on Thomas Müller. "Manu’s return is super," he enthused at Monday's pre-match press conference. "When he’s in goal, the opponent sometimes has a different mindset. And Manu can also save unsaveable shots."
"We’re still among the favourites for the [UEFA Champions League] title," he said. "If we stay in form, we’ll have a big chance of winning."
LEWANGOALSKI
Lewandowski needs one more goal to reach 40 in all competitions for the season. Since 2015/16, when the living Bayern legend registered 42 across the board, he has either hit the magical 40 or surpassed it in subsequent campaigns. The 33-year-old is making his 35th appearance of 2021/22 tonight.
MORE ON THOSE TEAMS
Manuel Neuer returns in goal for Bayern, in one of two changes to the side held to a 1-1 draw in Salzburg. Jamal Musiala is the other, the teenager replacing the injured Corentin Tolisso in midfield. Lucas Hernandez and Leroy Sane - suspended and a second-half substitute in Saturday's 1-1 draw with Bayer Leverkusen respectively - start. Salzburg are at full strength, with first-leg goalscorer Chukwubuike Adamu and Germany's Karim Adeyemi the front two.
Mantl, Walke, Van Der Brempt, Piatkowski, Bernede, Kjaergaard, Junuzovic, Sucic, Sesko, Guindo, Tijani, Bernardo
GOAL GUARANTEE
Salzburg will likely have to score as Bayern almost certainly will. In European competition, Bayern's free-scoring exploits extend some 29 matches, all the way back to their 2017/18 quarter-final with Sevilla, while it's been two goals or more in every home Champions League fixture since the start of 2019/20. Those statistical tidbits suggest Salzburg - who have lost six of their nine games in Germany and won just one of six Champions League away fixtures - will need to score three times to have any chance of advancing. And remember, there's no away-goals rule anymore.
There are a number of key players out for the hosts with Alphonso Davies, Leon Goretzka and Corentin Tolisso all unavailable.
NEUER BACK?
Manuel Neuer is set to make his first appearance since 5 February after recovering from knee surgery that forced him to sit out the first leg. "We'll try to score even if Manuel Neuer is in goal," said Salzburg coach Matthias Jaissle.
"We need to and want to reach the next round. If we manage that, then this season can be a successful one. If we are knocked out, then it obviously won't be a good season for Bayern. But, I'm not worried about that. Things are looking good."
The German champions welcome their first UEFA Champions League game of 2022 at the Allianz Arena, up against their Austrian counterparts who held them to a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their round of 16 tie. Stay tuned here for some pre-match news followed by team news when we have it.
