Dinamo Zagreb 0 - 2 Bayern Munich: Robert Lewandowski at the double as Bayern Munich ease to victory - 7M sport

Dinamo Zagreb 0 - 2 Bayern Munich: Robert Lewandowski at the double as Bayern Munich ease to victory



Posted Thursday, December 10, 2015 by PA

Dinamo Zagreb 0 - 2 Bayern Munich: Robert Lewandowski at the double as Bayern Munich ease to victory

Robert Lewandowski notched a quickfire brace as Bayern Munich rounded off their Champions League Group F fixtures with a 2-0 win at Dinamo Zagreb.

Dinamo had their share of chances in the first half, but Bayern had far more of the ball and after the introduction of Thomas Muller at half-time, the visitors' pressure soon told, with the Germany international's delightful ball teeing-up a Lewandowski header in the 61st minute.

Lewandowski - who scored a hat-trick when Bayern won the reverse fixture 5-0 in September - then clipped in three minutes later to take his Champions League tally for the season to seven goals in six games.

Dinamo subsequently hit the crossbar through Josip Pivaric, before Muller blew the chance to extend his team's advantage as he struck an 88th-minute penalty against the post.

Overall, it rarely looked like anything other than a Bayern victory would be the outcome in a contest that was a dead rubber, with the away side having already qualified for the last 16 as group winners and the hosts guaranteed to finish fourth.

Bayern - showing five changes from Saturday's 3-1 loss at Borussia Monchengladbach - had an early chance when Mehdi Benatia headed wide, before Dinamo's first attack saw Pivaric's shot being tipped over by Sven Ulreich, who was in for the rested Manuel Neuer.

The fit-again Franck Ribery, brought into the Bayern line-up himself for his first start of the season, then had a strike pushed wide by Eduardo, and Lewandowski sent a shot rolling beyond Eduardo, only for Leonardo Sigali to clear away.

At the other end, El Arbi Soudani found himself through but his chip was blocked as Ulreich stood firm.

Bayern continued to dominate possession and Xabi Alonso's free-kick whistled narrowly wide before Eduardo claimed a Lewandowski header.

But the German giants were lucky not to have been a goal down just before the interval, Ulreich rushing out at a free-kick and getting nowhere near the ball but Soudani unable to take advantage as he headed wide.

Having been brought on for Ribery at the break, Muller was immediately into the thick of the action at the start of the second half, hooking one effort wide from a corner and drilling another one low that Eduardo got down to.

Moments later, another good opportunity came Dinamo's way, with Ulreich making a decent save to keep out Junior Fernandes' shot.

Muller would not be kept at bay much longer, though, and he sent a wonderful delivery into the box that Lewandowski headed past Eduardo.

Within seconds Bayern had another as Sebastian Rode set Lewandowski free and the Poland international lifted the ball into the net.

Dinamo almost pulled a goal back with 20 minutes to go when Pivaric cracked the ball against the bar.

Lewandowski was then just unable to steer the ball in for another hat-trick as he stretched to connect, before Eduardo saved well to deny Muller.

Bayern were awarded a penalty late on following Eduardo's foul on substitute Arturo Vidal, but Muller saw his effort from 12 yards come back off the upright.



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