Bayern Munich and Hansi Flick set a new UEFA Champions League record with 2nd leg win over Lazio.
The world champions continue to create history as the Bavarians are still to lose a tournament under their second-year manager.
Hansi Flick has yet to lose or draw a Champions League knockout game while in charge of Bayern Munich, with his streak extending to 7 matches on Wednesday after a 2-1 win over Italian side Lazio that sent the current Champions League holders through to the quarterfinals of the competition.
Although the match score ended 2-1, the goal came late on as a mere consolation for Lazio as the tie was never in doubt.
Robert Lewandowski scored from the penalty spot in the 33rd minute and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting made it 2-0 for Munich midway through the second half.
Bayern Munich comfortably secured their place in Europe’s final 8 with a 6-2 win on aggregate over the Italian Serie A club. This win kept Hansi Flick’s perfect knockout record in tact.
Bayern is now the club that has qualified for the most quarterfinals of the Champions League – 19 times and Flick becomes the first manager to ever win all of his first 7 European knockout games.
Munich have also tied their best Champions League unbeaten streak of 19 games and will be optimistic to break it in the knockouts.
Bayern Munich are one of the favourites to win the Champions League crown as they look to retain their title and make it 7 titles to tie AC Milan who occupy 2nd place in the all-time European Cups table.
Bayern Munich 2-1 Lazio (6-2 on aggregate)
Lewandowski continued his goal scoring form. (Photo by Sven Hoppe/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Robert Lewandowski opened the scoring for Bayern Munich from the penalty spot that saw them take a 5-1 lead on aggregate against Lazio.
The Polish striker scored after Leon Goretzka was pushed by Francesco Acerbi that led to a penalty for the home side.
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting came on as a substitute for Lewandowski and he found the back of the net in just 2 minutes of coming on, to make it 2-0 in the second half with a neat chipped finish from close range. With the score score at 6-1 and just 17 minutes left on the clock, even Lazio knew it was just fighting for pride that remained.
They did pull one back through Marco Parolo late on in the 82nd minute, but that was more to save face than anything else.
Defending champions Bayern are now unbeaten in 31 home games in all competitions!
Hansi Flick is unbeaten in the Champions League knockouts so far. (Photo by Sven Hoppe/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Bayern head coach Hansi Flick praised his side saying, “Lazio defended well but I think the win was deserved. It’s a shame that we conceded again. Our attack is so strong and we play a high-risk game. It’s important that we keep playing like this and defend from the front to put our opponents under pressure. Every now and then the opponent will get chances, but that’s how I want us to play.
“If I were to name a team that I don’t want to face yet, I know 100% we would draw them [in the quarter-finals].”
Lazio boss Simone Inzaghi was proud of his team’s display as he knew there was a quality difference between both sides: “The players did well to never switch off. A good performance was necessary, and we bow out of the competition with a positive game.
“Some teams are unplayable. Bayern are one of them. We’re proud of our European path this season, progressing from the group unbeaten.”
Bayern Munich will await their opponents in the next round. They will face one of the following 7 teams in the quarterfinals –
- German rivals Borussia Dortmund
- Fellow 6-time Champions League winners Liverpool
- Chelsea – who beat Bayern in the 2011-12 Champions League final
- Record 13-time European Cup winners Real Madrid
- Last season’s final opponents – Paris Saint-Germain (PSG)
- 2003-04 UEFA Champions League winners – FC Porto
- Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City
The Champions League quarterfinals feature 3 English clubs, 2 German clubs, 1 French club, 1 Spanish club and 1 Portuguese club.
Manchester United were the only English club who failed to make it through to the knockout stages of the competition this season.
