When German scored five first half goals to overwhelm Brazil in the 2014 World Cup Semi-Final, it was considered one of the most clinical attacking performances in recent times. Cue nine months later and Germany champions Bayern Munich decided to emulate the national team by scoring five goals inside 40 minutes during their 6-1 defeat of Porto in a Champions League Quarter-Final second leg game at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday evening.
Portuguese team Porto had won the first leg encounter via a 3-1 margin and then reports of emerged of resignations in the Bayern medical department after blame was apparently directed towards the staff as a series of injuries prevented the participation of several key players in the first team squad. There was talk of a crisis at Bayern Munich and possible elimination from the Champions League arising with Porto unbeaten in the 2014-15 competition prior to the Tuesday evening’s contest, and having also won ten of their previous eleven domestic league fixtures with the other drawn. Added problems for the German team were the fact that Porto had netted in all nine games in the current tournament and both Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery were among others unavailable for Bayern due to injury.
A difficult evening was expected for Bayern Munich but they were also aware that a 2-0 victory would secure their passage to the semi-finals.
As the game commenced, there was a sense that the German team were the more purposeful and Porto did not heed initial warnings when Thomas Muller fired the ball against the post inside the first ten minutes.
Just twelve minutes later, Bayern were 2-0 ahead via goals from Thiago Alcantara and Jerome Boateng as Porto were guilty of poor marking in defending crosses into box. It actually appeared as though several of the Porto players were unable to cope with the occasion as they failed to pressurise the Bayern players in possession, allowing their opponents far too much space in the midfield areas.
Robert Lewandowski added two further goals with Muller also contributing to the first half total as Bayern Munich virtually ended the game as a contest with their five goal first half blitz. Both sides scored a goal apiece in a second half which contained none of the explosive action of the opening period as Bayern contained their opponents with relative ease.
All thoughts of a crisis at the Bavarian club were dispelled in a clinical display of finishing but the Porto players will reflect on a performance which demonstrated little of the attacking flair of the team. They will now return to Portugal to face Benfica in a top of the table clash on Sunday evening whereas for Bayern, it would appear to be business as usual with a Bundesliga home match against Hertha Berlin scheduled for Saturday, offering the possibility of a third successive German title being secured with a victory in that game.
