Goals: Bayern Munich—Alcantara 14’ - Boateng 22’ - Lewandowski 27’, 40’ - Muller 36 - Alonso 88'; FC Porto—Jackson Martinez 73'
Recap: Ninety minutes of inspired football saw Bayern Munich undress FC Porto 6-1 on Tuesday.
Facing a 3-1 deficit after the first leg, the hosts flexed their proverbial muscle from the onset, blitzing the opposition. It didn’t take long for Porto to eventually break. A scintillating header from Thiago Alcantara opened the affair in the 14th minute. Boateng would double the advantage just eight minutes later. Goals from Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Muller allowed Bayern to enter the break with a commanding 5-0 lead.
A second half was played, but it was all for naught. The Bavarian giants are through to the semifinals with a 7-4 aggregate victory.
Key Moment: There are no key moments in a 6-1 shellacking, but there are funny ones. Admittedly, Muller’s attempt did take a deflection before reaching Fabiano. But at this level, you expect more from your man between the posts.
Man of the Match: For the first 45 minutes, when the football actually mattered in Munich, no player was as flawless as Muller. The 25-year-old finished the half with one goal, two assists and three key passes.
Lesson Learned: The era of the Cinderella run in Champions League is over. Long gone are the days where a small club like Porto—at least in the grand scope of European football, not just Portuguese football—can not only make a Champions League final, but actually win it. Julen Lopetegui’s men weren’t just facing a superior side on Tuesday, they were facing one with 10-times their spending power. In a one-off, on any given night, the wonders of football can neutralize such disparity. But over the course of a tournament, it’s virtually impossible. Money and football have started a new life together. Smaller clubs like FC Porto are nothing more than the ex-wife holding onto the past, wondering what could’ve been.
Up Next: Both clubs return to league play, with Bayern Munich hosting Hertha Berlin on Apr. 25 and FC Porto traveling to Benfica on Apr. 26.
Note: Credit all statistics to officially licensed data from Opta Sports (via WhoScored).
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