CHAMPIONS LEAGUE ROUND OF 16, SECOND LEGS: BAYERN MUNICH 7 FC BASEL 0:MARIO GOMEZ hit four goals as Bayern Munich swiftly eliminated the threat of a Champions League exit before humiliating Basel.
The German club, whose Allianz Arena will stage the European final in May, had been embarrassed by a 1-0 loss to Basel three weeks ago at St Jakob Park.
But they warmed up for last night with a 7-1 victory over Hoffenheim on Saturday, a match in which Gomez hit three, and the Germany striker went one better against the Swiss, profiting from the superb promptings of team-mates Thomas Muller, Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery.
Robben netted the first goal, Muller the second, and thereafter it was the Gomez show, until Robben rounded off the scoring with nine minutes remaining.
Basels intentions to defend were clear from the early stages but Bayern went ahead after 11 minutes and built up a 3-0 lead by the interval.
Robben opened the scoring with a low strike from 12 yards into the bottom right corner after Muller’s speculative 25-yard strike took a wild deflection.
It was 2-0 after 42 minutes, Robben keeping the ball alive on the right before picking out Muller’s near-post run, allowing the midfielder to volley in from eight yards.
Basel were floored when Bayern scored their third two minutes later, Gomez with the three-yard finish after Kroos swept a free-kick across from the left and Holger Badstuber, at the far post, hooked the ball across goal.
Gomez scored his second after 50 minutes, firing a classy left-footed volley home from Ribery’s left-wing cross.
His hat-trick arrived on the hour, with Ribery wending his way past Basel defenders before teeing up a cross for Gomez to nod in from close range.
Ribery’s mesmerising run and pass set up Gomez for his fourth goal after 65 minutes, a fierce shot into the top right corner. Robben made it 7-0 from Schweinsteiger’s pass – the winger sidestepped Sommer and rolled the ball home.
BAYERN MUNICH:Neuer, Lahm, Boateng, Badstuber, Alaba, Gustavo, Kroos, Robben (Tymoschuk 82), Ribery (Pranjic 78), Muller (Schweinsteiger 70), Gomez. Subs Not Used: Butt, Petersen, Olic, Contento. Booked: Boateng.
BASEL: Sommer, Steinhofer (Degen 70), Abraham, Dragovic, Park, Cabral, Xhaka, Shaqiri (Zoua 80), Fabian Frei (Stocker 62), Alexander Frei, Streller. Subs Not Used: Colomba, Huggel, Yapi Yapo, Kovac. Booked: Streller, Cabral.
Referee: Mark Clattenburg (England).
Robben 11, 81 Gomez 44, 50, 61, 67 Mueller 42
(Bayern win 7-1 on aggregate)
