Bayern Munich, the defending champions of the UEFA Champions League, showed their dominance once again by beating Lazio 3-0 in the second leg of the round of 16 on Wednesday. The German giants had already won the first leg 4-1 in Rome, making the aggregate score 7-1 in their favour.
The match started with a bang as Robert Lewandowski scored his 39th goal of the season from the penalty spot in the 33rd minute, after Lazio defender Vedat Muriqi fouled Leon Goretzka in the box. The Polish striker is now the third-highest scorer in the history of the Champions League with 73 goals, behind only Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Bayern doubled their lead in the 73rd minute, when Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, who came on as a substitute for Lewandowski, finished a brilliant pass from David Alaba. The Cameroon international scored his first Champions League goal for Bayern, and his fourth overall in the competition.
The third and final goal came in the 84th minute, when Leroy Sane, who had a lively performance on the left wing, set up another substitute, Jamal Musiala, who slotted the ball past Lazio goalkeeper Pepe Reina. The 18-year-old Musiala became the youngest English player to score in the Champions League, and the second-youngest for Bayern.
Bayern were in control of the game throughout, and did not allow Lazio to create any clear chances. The Italian side, who were making their first appearance in the knockout stage of the Champions League since 2000, could not cope with the pace and intensity of the reigning champions.
Bayern have now reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the ninth time in the last 10 seasons, and will be hoping to retain their title. They will find out their next opponents in the draw on Friday.
Who impressed you the most?
There were many impressive performers for Bayern, but one of them was Joshua Kimmich, who played as a central midfielder. The versatile German was involved in everything, from breaking up Lazio’s attacks, to creating chances for his teammates, to taking shots at goal. He had the most touches (121), passes (98), tackles (5), and interceptions (4) in the game, and also won the penalty that Lewandowski converted. He was the engine of Bayern’s team, and showed why he is one of the best players in the world.