Bayern Munich advanced to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League with a dominant display at the BayArena, as Bayer Leverkusen lacked cutting-edge and defensive solidity across both legs.
Second-half strikes from Harry Kane and Alphonso Davies confirmed the Bavarians’ place in the next round of the competition as die Werkself gifted the visitors an opener that killed any possibility of a famous comeback.
Non-existent defending from a Joshua Kimmich free-kick allowed Harry Kane time and space to bring the ball down and tap home, before the Englishman provided a stunning ball for Davies to drill past Lukas Hradecky and condemn the Bundesliga champions to a European thumping.
As it happened
The first chance of the tie fell to the visitors early on as Michael Olise crossed into the area for Harry Kane to tap home, however Jonathan Tah made an excellent recovery challenge to deny the Englishman. There were calls for a penalty that were waved away and VAR concurred, although replays suggest that Bayern were hard-done by on that call from referee Slavko Vinčić.
The hosts had a good chance to spark a potential comeback as Exequiel Palacios took his eye off of Arthur’s cross and the midfielder scuffed his effort wide, but Leverkusen struggled to really get going in the first half.
Die Werkself finally started to create some chances late in the half as Granit Xhaka whipped a inch-perfect ball into the area for Patrik Schick, who could not quite direct his header on target.
Another heading opportunity fell to the Czech international who got on the end of an in-swinging corner and planted his header into the side netting; on another day, that would have snuck just inside the post.
The second period started with the visitors continuing to create chances as Olise managed to keep an overhit cross in play and drove towards the penalty area, chopping past Xhaka as he bent an effort goalwards that just deflected wide.
In the 52nd minute, Bayern killed anysort of hope of a Leverkusen comeback. Awful defending from the hosts allowed Joshua Kimmich’s free-kick to fall perfectly to Kane, who took a touch and tapped home to take him level with the competition’s top scorer Serhou Guirassy on ten goals. If the tie was not already over, it certainly was now.
Leverkusen were rattled as another set-piece was not dealt with as Coman was allowed to bring the ball down, shift onto his left-foot and fire at Hrádecký.
With nothing to lose now, Leverkusen started to play more direct and started to cause the Bavarians some issues.
Jeremie Frimpong took aim from the right-flank and nearly caught Jonas Urbig out on the near post, who made a good save to keep Bayern’s clean sheet intact. Frimpong was then involved once more as he sent the ball into the area and Schick’s header was once more saved.
But when a Bayern free-kick pinged upfield in the 71st minute was held up well before Kane was eventually found just inside the right-hand side of the box and on the half-volley, the former Spurs striker played a sensational pass over the top to the onrushing Davies who drilled his effort home for the second goal of the night.
There was nearly a third for the visitors after more self-inflicted damage from the hosts who gave the ball away needlessly and allowed Bayern moved up a gear before Jamal Musiala was found making ground into the area. He took aim and rattled a combination of post and crossbar before the ball bounced to safety.
Lightning struck twice for Musiala as he cannoned the ball off the woodwork once more in the dying stages, with Hrádecký beaten. The two fixtures against Bayern will forever haunt die Werkself in the first-ever clashes between the two sides on the European stage.
The fixture ended with Bayern winning 2-0 on the night and 5-0 on aggregate, and will now face Inter Milan in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League.
The lineups
LEV: Hrádecký; Arthur, Tah, Hermoso, Hincapié; Palacios, García, Xhaka; Frimpong, Grimaldo; Schick
BAY: Urbig; Laimer, Upamecano, Kim, Davies; Kimmich, Goretzka; Olise, Musiala Coman; Kane