Bayern shred Porto apart to book Champions League semifinal berth

BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA - FEBRUARY 26:  Champions League Trophy is seen during the UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour on February 26, 2014 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.  (Photo by Daniel Jayo/Getty Images Latam/Getty Images for UEFA)

They wrote those Bayern munich obituaries a bit too soon.
After FC Porto took a 3-1 first leg lead, some were questioning whether Josep Guardiola's tactics and squad depth would be enough to overcome a dreadful a UEFA Champions League performance in Portugal and keep the Bavarians on course for a potential treble in 2015.
It took just 45 minutes for the critics to eat their words as Bayern produced a sumptuous first half reminiscent of the way that Germany destroyed Brazil in last summer's World Cup semifinal. A dominating display of speed, power and precision, laid the foundation for Bayern's second leg quarterfinal triumph, 6-1 on the night, 7-4 on aggregate that secured their spot in the semifinal draw.
Even without Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery, Bastian Schweinsteiger or David Alaba, Bayern had far too much attacking flair for a Porto team which had not lost a match in Europe this campaign, but never showed the willingness to come forward that had allowed them to produce their win on home soil.
Robert Lewandowski (twice), Thiago Alcanatara, Jerome Boateng and Thomas Mueller scored in the first half as Bayern ripped Porto to shreds. Xabi Alonso got the sixth in the closing minutes. Mueller's goal was his 27th Champions League tally, the most by any German player in the competition.
About the only thing Bayern didn't do in the opening half was to score in the 10th minute when Porto keeper Fabiano parried Mueller's drive directly into the path of Lewandowski. The Polish international's shot hit the post and spun out, but the obvious gaps in the Porto defense was the more significant omen from that attack.


With Mario Goetze and Juan Bernat combining wide on the left, Phillip Lahm, Thiago and Mueller working the right side, Porto's weakened defense was stretched to the breaking point. Missing both Danilo and Alex Sandro the visitors were overmatched at the back, while their midfield's inability to get any grip on the early stages of the game forced them into an untenable defense posture.
It was Thiago, who had scored Bayern's important away goal in the first leg, who brought the Allianz Arena crowd to life when his blistering header to a Bernat cross flew past Porto's Fabiano. The tie was level on aggregate eight minutes later, Thiago this time the provider with a corner kick that found Holger Badstuber to head forward from the top of the box. That headed pass found Boateng to power in his 22nd minute goal which gave Bayern its first lead in the tie, albeit on away goals.
Porto showed absolutely no ability to get out of its own half and there was none of the counter-attacking threat seen in Portugal so Bayern simply poured forward and turned the screw. Lewandowski got his first in the 27th minute after Lahm's pass from the right was wonderfully played forward by Mueller for the finishing eight-yard header that gave Fabiano no chance.
Two goals in four minutes completed the first half rout, Mueller getting on the board in the 36th minute when his drive from outside the box took a deflection off defender Martins Indi before beating the spawling Fabiano. Lewandowski made it 5-0 at the interval when he collected from Mueller before slipping the ball well-beyond Fabiano to the left corner of the goal.
The second half was largely academic, Porto managing to get forward on the occasion but Bayern remaining firmly in the driver's seat even as they took their foot off the pedal. Manuel Neuer, who controversially survived what many thought should have been a red card error in the first leg, was largely a spectator.
He was a spectator in the 73rd minute when Evandro's cross from a tight angle on the right flew across the face of his goal and Jackson Martinez was there to snap in a header for the visitor's consolation strike. That signalled a brief Porto spell of pressure, when Martinez' next opportunity was pushed wide of the far post and Bayern rode out the closing minutes comfortably enough.
When Xabi Alonso curled home an 87th minute free kick directly after Marcano's second yellow card saw Porto reduced to 10 men, the home fans had one more celebration.
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