Michael Olise celebrates scoring Bayern Munich’s second purpose in Tuesday’s thumping of Atalanta. Photograph: AFP
BERGAMO, ITALY:
Bayern Munich put one foot within the Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday by sweeping apart Atalanta 6-1 in a strong demonstration of why the German giants are one of many favourites to win the competitors.
In entrance within the twelfth minute in Bergamo by means of Josip Stanisic, Bayern are all-but by means of following a shocking brace from standout participant Michael Olise and additional strikes from Serge Gnabry, Nicolas Jackson and Jamal Musiala.
Bayern have misplaced simply as soon as at house this season and Tuesday’s marauding show, which got here with Harry Kane and Jamal Musiala each beginning on the bench, left Atalanta with mainly no probability of progressing.
A blockbuster tie towards one in every of Actual Madrid or Manchester Metropolis awaits Bayern within the subsequent spherical, save for a historic collapse in subsequent week’s second leg in Munich.
“That was the sort of efficiency we wished. We have been harmful proper all through the match,” mentioned Kompany to Prime Video.
“We have expertise and high quality within the workforce… So it is no shock when the lads ship like this.”
For Atalanta it will likely be a comeback too far after the thrilling approach they acquired previous Borussia Dortmund and into the final 16, and their elimination would finish Italy’s participation within the Champions League for this season.
Being knocked out by European royalty is just not shame for the historically tiny membership punching approach above its weight over at house and overseas the final decade.
Nevertheless it was a chastening evening for each Raffaele Palladino’s gamers, who have been applauded off by their vociferous help each at half-time and the ultimate whistle, and Italian soccer.
“You possibly can’t say something apart from praise Bayern.. sadly it did not go as we might hoped and we now have to simply accept the defeat,” mentioned Mario Pasalic, who scored the hosts’ comfort purpose in stoppage time.
“We simply should attempt to play the second leg with a little bit of delight.”
Even with out Kane and Musiala Bayern got here straight for Atalanta, urgent relentlessly, and Michael Olise twice examined the hosts’ goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi within the first 5 minutes.
It was Luis Diaz’s effort, deflected out for a nook, which led to x Stanisic benefiting from poor defending on the subsequent set piece.
Atalanta have been asleep as Olise rolled his nook to Gnabry who, utterly unmarked within the penalty space, pushed the ball on to Stanisic to push house from shut vary.
Olise left Atalanta with a mountain to climb within the twenty second minute when he drifted in from the proper flank and superbly curled in his second Champions League purpose of the season.
The France ahead was once more key for Bayern’s third three minutes later, his lovely first contact with the surface of his left foot resulting in a Gnabry flying by means of on purpose and successfully ending the tie as a contest.
Gnabry additionally had time to clip the crossbar as Bayern ran riot, and coach Vincent Kompany confirmed no mercy by bringing on Musiala and Alphonso Davies on the break.
Jackson drilled within the fourth within the 52nd minute and from there the evening started to take an embarrassing flip for Atalanta whose followers might do nothing however clap when Olise leathered within the purpose of the evening within the sixty fourth minute.
Jackson arrange Musiala to information house Bayern’s sixth three minutes later, and by the point Pasalic netted for Atalanta with the final kick of the sport the away aspect might have had double figures.
It wasn’t all optimistic for Bayern as Davies needed to be substituted with a hamstring downside, the most recent in a protracted line of accidents for the Canadian who has had a tricky few years.
However the small pocket of Bayern followers within the nook of the New Steadiness Area weren’t complaining as their workforce rolled on in direction of a showdown with Metropolis or Madrid.
