Bayern Munich clinch Round of 16 spot, cruise past Olympiakos
Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich needed 20 minutes to seal victory against Olympiakos and qualify for the Round of 16 as winners of Group F. A draw at the Allianz Arena would have suited both sides and would have eliminated Arsenal, but Bayern had no remorse and ruthlessly dispatched the champions of Greece 4-0 on the night.
Pep Guardiola made four changes from the team that defeated Schalke 3-1 on Saturday to maintain their 54-game unbeaten run in the first half of the season. Holger Badstuber, later sent off for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity, was handed his first start of the season since recovering from injury. Rafinha came in at fullback to replace the injured David Alaba, while French wide man Kingsley Coman was drafted back in from the bench as Xabi Alonso was afforded a rest.
As early as the eighth minute, Bayern sliced through the Greek champions to score. Olympiakos -- who has won all 10 of their league games this season -- sat deep, closing off passing angles but were undone by Bayern's silent-killer Jerome Boateng, the center-back stepping out from defense and shooting on target. Spanish keeper Roberto could only fumble as far as Douglas Costa who ushered in the opener -- the 19th goal he has played an active role in this season.
Three minutes later, Thomas Müller threatened with a volleyed shot that landed wide of the target. With eight straight home wins in the Champions League, the German champions, playing their 100th match in Europe's top club competition, carry a sense of impenetrability at home and abroad having scored five goals or more in four of their last six home games.
The Greek powerhouses had their share of bad fortune at the Allianz Arena, especially when Coman's 25-yard shot struck Robert Lewandowski before the center-forward rammed home his 28th goal in 25 matches for club and country this season. But Bayern's constant peppering of the opposition penalty box only increased the likelihood of a loose ball falling kindly for them.
After the postponement of the Athens derby with Panathinaikos at the weekend, Olympiakos' preparations were changed at the last minute following two weeks of international football. The side, coached by Marco Silva, tried to counterattack when possible, but lacked the composure to make an impact in the last-third. Defensively, however, Silva's troops were simply outnumbered.
A consistent swarm of red shirts flooded the penalty box at every opportunity causing confusion in the Olympiakos ranks. In the 20th minute, Müller concluded the tie as a contest as he nabbed his 33rd Champions League goal, his fifth in five games this campaign, with help of Coman and Arjen Robben who was soon replaced by Joshua Kimmich. Coman missed a good chance before the end of the half as he looked for his first goal since September.
Bayern's dominance was such that the red card to Badstuber barely caused a ripple among Bayern fans. The German defender, clearly lacking in match sharpness, was caught behind Ideye Brown in a sprint race and the Olympiakos striker went down on the edge of the area under little contact and with just the goalkeeper to beat.
The free kick was in scoring range, but the visitors couldn't alter the momentum. Medhi Benatia replaced Lewandowski and restored Bayern's equilibrium in defense despite the ten-men and minutes later, Costa's sumptuous free kick from 30 yards got the home fans off their seat, but the effort had only ruffled the side-netting.
Even with a numerical advantage, Olympiakos were consumed by caution and safety. On 61 minutes, the pressure was too much for them handle and Lewandowski's header was then nodded in by Coman who was taken out by the keeper in the process. Of all those tearing the Greek backline to shreds, the quietly effective work of 19-year-old Coman continues to be an impressive feature.
With five minutes left, Coman's ungainly sprint upfield carved out a great chance for Müller to score his 20th of the season, but he was denied by fast-reactions from Roberto. Seconds later, the 29-year-old Olympiakos captain blocked the path of Kimmich before Müller hit the post in the first minute of stoppage time as Bayern chased the fifth that felt like some kind of right for them based on recent form.
Bayern's fourth win from five in Group F secures qualification for the Round of 16 a game early before the trip to Dinamo Zagreb.
"It's always important to be first in the group," Bayern captain Philipp Lahm said. "It's good to be group winner before the last match. We can be very pleased."
The German champions have reached the semifinal stage in each of the past four seasons and if Guardiola's men maintain this sort of form, there seems little chance of stopping them.
