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Thứ Ba, 21 tháng 4, 2015

Champions League round-up: Bayern and Barcelona win big to book semi-final places

Champions League round-up: Bayern Munich and Barcelona win big to book semi-final places

Bayern Munich overturned a two-goal deficit in fine style to book their place in the Champions League semi-finals, thumping Porto 6-1 in a rampant display at the Allianz Arena.

Europa League champions Porto ran out shock 3-1 winners in the first leg in Portugal, where they took advantage of a number of key absentees for the German giants.

But five-time European Champions Bayern made amends for that poor defensive display with an electric attacking performance in front of their home fans, as they sealed a 7-4 aggregate victory.

The tone was set after 14 minutes when Thiago Alcantara opened the scoring with a leaping header at the near post, with Jerome Boateng nodding the hosts level just moments later.

Bayern were completely dominant in a commanding first half, with Porto rarely touching the ball at all, and Robert Lewandowski netted his first of two goals on 27 minutes - again with his head - before the provider, Thomas Muller, also got in the act to make it 4-0 with a deflected long-range strike which left Porto goalkeeper Bruno Indi helpless.

And barely five minutes had passed before the keeper had to pick the ball out of his net again, the Porto defence making it far too easy as Lewandowski turned his marker and completed his brace with a crisp finish into the bottom corner.

The tempo predictably slowed after the break, which allowed the visitors to pull a goal back through Jackson Martinez, the Premier League target netting his seventh goal in eight Champions League matches to leave Porto just two away from claiming an away goal victory.

But no more came, with Pep Guardiola’s men only making it worse with a sixth goal in the closing stages, Xavi Alonso curling a free-kick over the wall and into the net after Ivan Marcano’s dreadful tackle on Thiago saw the defender shown a straight red card.

Bayern will be joined in the semi-final draw by Spanish giants Barcelona, who beat Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 at the Nou Camp to secure a 5-1 win on aggregate.

Luis Suarez was the first leg star with two well taken goals, but it was the Uruguayan’s strike partner Neymar who grabbed the headlines this time around, as the Brazilian’s fine double capped off a one-sided tie against the French champions.

Leading 3-1 from the first leg, it was game over by half-time as Barca went further ahead through Neymar’s 14th minute opener.

It was a delightful move orchestrated by captain Andres Iniesta, who burst on a majestic run, making it look easy as he drifted past four players before playing the striker through with an inch-perfect through-ball.

Neymar still had plenty to do, but it seemed mere child’s play as he darted past highly-rated goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu to slot home, and he was completely unmarked to head in his second ten minutes later, taking his season tally to 30 goals.

PSG were boosted by the return of striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic from suspension but the Swede endured a frustrating evening against his former side, seeing a first half goal disallowed for offside before seeing another good effort easily saved by Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

The visitors’ best chance of the match fell to Edinson Cavani late on, but the Uruguay international failed to hit the target as the Catalans progressed to a seventh semi-final in eight years.

Source : talksport[dot]com
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