Dominant Bayern book semi-final berth - 7M sport

Dominant Bayern book semi-final berth



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Posted Wednesday, April 04, 2012 by ESPN

Dominant Bayern book semi-final berth

Two first-half goals from Ivica Olic helped Bayern Munich to a routine win over Marseille that booked them a Champions League semi-final birth.

Already leading 2-0 from the first leg, the German giants were always favourites to progress on Tuesday night and so it proved as two clinical moments from the Croatian proved sufficient.

Were it not for the heroics of visiting goalkeeper Steve Mandanda it could have been more and, while Bayern will now go on to a likely last-four meeting with Real Madrid, questions are starting to mount over the future of Marseille manager Didier Deschamps.

Comfortably out of the domestic title race and dumped out of the cup by unfancied opposition, Marseille's turgid form has seen his position come under some scrutiny already. The Champions League was perhaps his last hope of salvation, but Bayern put paid to that.

Jerome Boateng set the tone for the hosts on Tuesday night with an early header that whistled just over, before Marseille stirred, with Loic Remy and Jeremy Morel were both denied by Manuel Neuer.

Bayern then stepped up and took a 13th-minute lead.

Franck Ribery created the goal, embarking on a looping run around the Marseille defence and then crossing for Olic who, from a potentially offside position, stabbed beyond Mandanda.

Neuer then had to earn his money again as he beat away a Stephane M'bia effort, before Ribery went close with a shot on the turn.

Mandanda then produced a stunning spell of goalkeeping.

First he denied Toni Kroos and then parried a volley from Anatoliy Tymoschuk. Shortly after he made a wonderful save to keep out Olic, before beating away Thomas Muller's bullet header from a corner.

When Kroos then beat Mandanda the woodwork came to his rescue, but he could do nothing to stop Olic's second after 37 minutes.

Mathieu Valbuena carelessly lost possession close to Bayern's corner flag and, as quick as a flash, Ribery and David Alaba launched a length-of-the-field counter-attack that ended with the latter crossing for Olic to convert.

The outstanding Ribery drew a double save out of Mandanda after the restart, and then the equally-impressive Kroos went close when he dragged a shot wide.

Brandao's header could have given Marseille the most fanciful of lifelines but sailed over and from then on, Bayern clicked into cruise control and saw the game out with some ease.



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