Roma 1-7 Bayern Munich: Pep Guardiola's Side Hand Manchester City Lifeline With Their Biggest-Ever Away Win In Champions League
Bayern Munich left Roma in ruins as they handed Manchester City a lifeline in Group E and recorded their biggest-ever away win in the Champi...
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Bayern Munich left Roma in ruins as they handed Manchester City a lifeline in Group E and recorded their biggest-ever away win in the Champions League.
Pep Guardiola's German giants swept aside their Italian counterparts at the Stadio Olimpico, prompting bookmakers to make Bayern favourites to win the competition ahead of Real Madrid and Barcelona.
By half time, it was 5-0. After 90 minutes, it was 7-1 as Ashley Cole and his Roma team-mates were tormented by the attacking prowess of the reigning Bundesliga champions.
Manuel Pellegrini welcomes Bayern to the Etihad in November and, if the Premier League club are to win, they can only hope goalkeeper Manuel Neuer has an off day after a near-perfect performance on Tuesday night.
Bayern manager Guardiola, however, refuses to get carried away. 'This is a fluke,' the 43-year-old said after the match. 'It's not normal to win 7-1. Last season we had the legs but not the mindset. We needed to decide things a split-second quicker and now we're doing that.'
It took just nine minutes for the onslaught to begin on Tuesday night. Robben, up against Cole, was shown the inside and the Dutchman punished his former Chelsea team-mate by curling his shot beyond goalkeeper Morgan De Sanctis.
Two minutes later Gervinho could have drawn level. That is, if the ex-Arsenal player did not have Neuer to beat.
The 27-year-old forward let the ball roll across his body before his low shot was instinctively palmed away by the German. The first of many.
It was Germany hero Mario Gotze who doubled Bayern's lead after exchanging a tidy one-two with 2014 World Cup-winning team-mate Thomas Muller, and placing the ball in the bottom-left corner.
Then a cross by defender Juan Bernat found the free head of Robert Lewandowski who, having drifted in behind Roma's Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, made it 3-0 with barely a quarter of the game gone.
Five minutes later it was four. Robben unleashed a powerful strike looking to go across De Sanctis, only for the Roma goalkeeper to palm it into his own net at the near post.
It didn't help Roma that referee Jonas Eriksson from Sweden had zero sympathy. The official pointed to the spot after a handball by Kostas Manolas while sliding to intercept David Alaba's cross.
Muller stepped up, slotted it to the right, and it was 5-0 at half time. Roma manager Rudi Garcia thought it best to put Cole out of his misery, and replaced the 33-year-old with Jose Holebas.
The home faithful were shell-shocked but did not whistle or boo the team that sit second top of Serie A behind Juventus. After the break, Gervinho looked hell-bent on rewarding their support.
The former Arsenal man hit the post from close range, before Neuer denied the ex-Lille forward with what can be ticked off as the save of the tournament so far.
Miralem Pjanic's lofted ball from the left found Gervinho four yards out but his side-footed volley was smothered by the Bayern goalkeeper. Neuer spun in the process and diverted it away to safety.
It was as breathtaking and instinctive a save the Champions League has seen, but Neuer's clean sheet was ruined five minutes later by the persistent Roma forward. A cross by Radja Nainggolan found Gervinho, whose header from point-blank range could not be stopped. In truth, it was the least the Ivory Coast international deserved.
Source: Mail Online
Pep Guardiola's German giants swept aside their Italian counterparts at the Stadio Olimpico, prompting bookmakers to make Bayern favourites to win the competition ahead of Real Madrid and Barcelona.
By half time, it was 5-0. After 90 minutes, it was 7-1 as Ashley Cole and his Roma team-mates were tormented by the attacking prowess of the reigning Bundesliga champions.
Manuel Pellegrini welcomes Bayern to the Etihad in November and, if the Premier League club are to win, they can only hope goalkeeper Manuel Neuer has an off day after a near-perfect performance on Tuesday night.
Bayern manager Guardiola, however, refuses to get carried away. 'This is a fluke,' the 43-year-old said after the match. 'It's not normal to win 7-1. Last season we had the legs but not the mindset. We needed to decide things a split-second quicker and now we're doing that.'
It took just nine minutes for the onslaught to begin on Tuesday night. Robben, up against Cole, was shown the inside and the Dutchman punished his former Chelsea team-mate by curling his shot beyond goalkeeper Morgan De Sanctis.
Two minutes later Gervinho could have drawn level. That is, if the ex-Arsenal player did not have Neuer to beat.
The 27-year-old forward let the ball roll across his body before his low shot was instinctively palmed away by the German. The first of many.
It was Germany hero Mario Gotze who doubled Bayern's lead after exchanging a tidy one-two with 2014 World Cup-winning team-mate Thomas Muller, and placing the ball in the bottom-left corner.
Then a cross by defender Juan Bernat found the free head of Robert Lewandowski who, having drifted in behind Roma's Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, made it 3-0 with barely a quarter of the game gone.
Five minutes later it was four. Robben unleashed a powerful strike looking to go across De Sanctis, only for the Roma goalkeeper to palm it into his own net at the near post.
It didn't help Roma that referee Jonas Eriksson from Sweden had zero sympathy. The official pointed to the spot after a handball by Kostas Manolas while sliding to intercept David Alaba's cross.
Muller stepped up, slotted it to the right, and it was 5-0 at half time. Roma manager Rudi Garcia thought it best to put Cole out of his misery, and replaced the 33-year-old with Jose Holebas.
The home faithful were shell-shocked but did not whistle or boo the team that sit second top of Serie A behind Juventus. After the break, Gervinho looked hell-bent on rewarding their support.
The former Arsenal man hit the post from close range, before Neuer denied the ex-Lille forward with what can be ticked off as the save of the tournament so far.
Miralem Pjanic's lofted ball from the left found Gervinho four yards out but his side-footed volley was smothered by the Bayern goalkeeper. Neuer spun in the process and diverted it away to safety.
It was as breathtaking and instinctive a save the Champions League has seen, but Neuer's clean sheet was ruined five minutes later by the persistent Roma forward. A cross by Radja Nainggolan found Gervinho, whose header from point-blank range could not be stopped. In truth, it was the least the Ivory Coast international deserved.
Source: Mail Online
