Bayern Munich pulverized Porto at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday as Pep Guardiola’s side scored five goals in 26 first half minutes to cancel out a 3-1 deficit from the first leg and secure a sensational 6-1 victory in their UEFA Champions League quarterfinal second leg to advance to the final four 7-4 on aggregate.
Guardiola has now reached the UCL semifinals in every single season as a manager and Bayern were all over Porto from the first whistle as the Portuguese side crumbled in Bavaria.
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Thiago Alcantara headed home the opener for Bayern, then Jerome Boateng added a second as the home side led 2-0 after 22 minutes. Robert Lewandowski was twice to set up by Thomas Muller and Muller himself scored another in between Lewandowski’s strikes to make it 5-0 at half time. Porto looked shell-shocked but did pull a goal back in the second half through Jackson Martinez but Xabi Alonso curled in a wonderful free kick late on as Porto bowed out of the Champions League in embarrassing fashion.
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Bayern made their intent to attack clear early on as Lewandowski hit the post, and less than 15 minutes in they had scored the opener to set them on their way. Bernat’s brilliant cross to the near post was powerfully headed home by Thiago after 14 minutes to send the home fans wild and put Bayern 1-0 up. Soon after it was 2-0 up as Boateng nodded home after Holger Badstuber’s header back across goal found him in the box with Porto’s defense all over the place.
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After 27 minutes it was 3-0 as Philipp Lahm whipped in a cross which Muller helped on to Lewandwoski and the Polish forward finished well to give Bayern a 4-3 aggregate lead. On 36 minutes it was 4-0 as Muller’s long-range shot deflected off Bruno Martins Indi and past Fabiano, with Porto’s goalkeeper looking to the heavens with their hopes of advancing to the UCL semifinals in ruins. The goals kept coming and five minutes before half time it was 5-0 as Muller cut the ball back to Lewandowksi and he fired across goal to grab his second of the match.
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Just before half time Badstuber lunged into an awful tackle on Ricardo Quaresma and was lucky to not be sent off by Martin Atkinson in what was the only negative moment in a sensational first half for Bayern.
In the second half Bayern passed the ball around and Porto were scared to push high as the dejected Portuguese outfit were in full damage limitation mode. Muller’s effort after 64 minutes was tipped over by Fabiano and Alonso also sent a free kick close with Bayern looking to extend their extraordinary lead further.
However Porto made things a little more interesting as Martinez headed home Hector Herrera’s cross to make it 5-1 on the night and 6-4 on aggregate with 17 minutes to go. Martinez then fired an effort inches wide of the post moments later as Porto gave it a real go late on but there were susceptible to a counter attack as Lewandowski flashed an effort just wide as he searched for his hat trick.
Late on Porto were reduced to 10-men as Marcano was sent off for a second yellow after a rash challenge on Thiago, as Bayern poured on the misery with Alonso’s superb free kick making it 6-1 in the 88th minute and capping off a night to remember for Bayern Munich.
LINEUPS
Bayern Munich: Neuer; Rafinha (Rode, 72'), Boateng, Badstuber, Bernat; Lahm, Alonso, Thiago (Date, 90'), Muller, Lewandowski, Gotze (Weiser, 86')
Goals Thiago, (14'), Boateng (22'), Lewandowski (27', 40'), Muller (36'), Alonso (88')
Porto: Fabiano; Reyes (Ricardo, 33'), Maicon, Marcano, Martins Indi; Herrera, Casemiro, Oliver, Quaresma (Neves, 45'); Martinez, Brahimi (Evandro, 67')
Goal: Martinez (73')
Red card: Marcano (87')
