Bayern Munich beat Lazio 3-0 in the Champions League last 16 on Tuesday night, overturning a one-goal first leg deficit at the Allianz Arena.
The hosts provided the perfect response to their subpar defeat at the Stadio Olimpico during the first half in Bavaria, with smart headers from Harry Kane and Thomas Muller putting Bayern in control of the tie.
Kane grabbed another for the hosts after the break to secure his side’s spot in the final eight and relieve some pressure after a difficult few weeks for the reigning Bundesliga champions.
Bayern could ill-afford to waste any time in overturning a one-goal deficit from the first leg and they made a bright start to proceedings at the Allianz Arena. Leroy Sane was first to test Ivan Provedel in the Lazio goal, while Jamal Musiala saw a stinging effort from the edge of the box rebuffed by the visiting goalkeeper.
Harry Kane was next to take aim as his deflected effort whistled wide of the post, with Lazio players regularly flinging their bodies in the way of Bayern shots. The Serie A side had shown glimpses of their attacking quality on the counter-attack and should have taken the lead ten minutes before the break, Ciro Immobile unable to redirect his header on target at the far post from a deflected cross.
The Italian’s miss proved incredibly costly several minutes later as Bayern drew level on aggregate with a timely goal just before the break. Unsurprisingly, it was Kane who put the hosts ahead on the night, heading home from close range following Raphael Guerreiro’s miscued shot – a strike met with a thunderous roar from the Bavarian crowd.
Bayern should have doubled their advantage just a minute later, with Musiala sliding Sane’s cutback inches wide of Provedel’s right-hand post. But Thomas Tuchel’s side did grab a second just moments before the half-time whistle, with Muller flicking Matthijs de Light’s venomous volley beyond Provedel and capping his 696th appearance for the club with a typically clever goal.
Bayern’s dominance continued after the restart as they looked to put the tie beyond doubt, with Musiala and Guerreiro flashing efforts wide of goal from range as the hosts edged closer to a third.
With pressure on the Lazio goal increasing, Bayern did eventually book their spot in the quarter-final, and it was Kane who was in the right place at the right time to grab his second of the night. Sane curled a fierce effort towards the far post from just inside the area, with Provedel palming straight into the path of Kane for the striker to tap into an empty net.
Muller fancied a double of his own as a confident Bayern began to tear through a tired Lazio, with the German hammering a strike off the post with 20 minutes to play. However, the hosts had to settle for three goals and a clean sheet in the end as they booked their spot in the final eight of the Champions League.
GK: Manuel Neuer – 6/10 – Completely untested, with Lazio not managing a shot on target.
RB: Joshua Kimmich – 7/10 – A strong performance from Kimmich in a position that isn’t his favourite, with some adventurous passing and experienced defending down the right.
CB: Matthijs de Ligt – 7/10 – The centre-back made some important defensive interventions, while his outrageous volley assisted Muller for Bayern’s second.
CB: Eric Dier – 6/10 – A solid if unspectacular display from the Englishman, who did make one important interception to deny an early Lazio chance.
LB: Raphael Guerreiro – 8/10 – Slightly fortunate to grab an assist for Kane’s opener, but the Portuguese earned some luck with his willingness to bomb up and down the pitch. A constant threat on the left flank.
DM: Aleksandar Pavlovic – 7/10 – A few shaky moments in possession in the opening stages, but the 19-year-old settled into the game. Pulled the strings for Bayern in a deep midfield role in the second period.
DM: Leon Goretzka – 7/10 – A determined display from the much-maligned midfielder, using his frame to dominate the physical midfield battle.
RM: Leroy Sane – 7/10 – Came to life in the second half and showcased his best attributes with some sharp play in and around the Lazio box. Put in a shift defensively as well.
AM: Thomas Muller – 8/10 – The veteran produced a typical Muller finish seconds before the break and was at the heart of everything for Bayern. As expected, he stood up when they needed him most.
LM: Jamal Musiala – 7/10 – Some sensational touches and dazzling runs deep in Lazio territory. Just lacked the final touch on a few occasions.
ST: Harry Kane – 8/10 – Only Neuer touched the ball fewer times than the England captain in the first half, yet he still sauntered off at the break with a goal to his name. Similarly uninvolved in the second half, but grabbed another due to his smart positioning.
SUB: Alphonso Davies (78′ for Guerreiro) – 6/10
SUB: Mathys Tel (78′ for Muller) – 6/10
SUB: Konrad Laimer (89′ for Sane) – N/A
SUB: Serge Gnabry (90′ for Musiala) – N/A
Subs not used: Sven Ulreich (GK), Daniel Peretz (GK), Kim Min-jae, Bryan Zaragoza, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting.
Thomas Tuchel – 7/10 – The result was all that mattered for the Bayern boss, with rumours suggesting that his end-of-season exit would have been brought forward had the Bundesliga giants crashed out against Lazio. It was a strong display from his side, and one that buys him a little more time in the dugout.
