7-1 and take firm control of Champions League Group E on
Tuesday.
The Germans were expected to face a difficult task in Rome, but
Pep Guardiola's men made a mockery of those predictions as
they ran riot.
Roma had lost just one competitive home match in 2014 and
conceded only once in five wins at the Stadio Olimpico this
term, but Rudi Garcia's side were left shell-shocked by Bayern's
blitz of five goals in the space of 28 first-half minutes.
Arjen Robben started the rout before Mario Gotze - who scored
twice in Bayern's 6-0 demolition of Werder Bremen on Saturday
- doubled the advantage.
Robert Lewandowski's header made it 3-0 after 25
minutes before Robben's second and a contentious Thomas
Muller penalty added further gloss.
Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer had kept clean sheets in his
last eight matches and appeared destined to extend that run
with superb saves in the second half from Alessandro Florenzi
and Gervinho before the latter scored a consolation in the 66th
minute.
It proved brief respite for Roma, though, as substitutes Franck
Ribery and Xherdan Shaqiri capped a wonderful evening for the
Bundesliga champions, who can now reach the knockout stages
by beating Roma in the return match at the Allianz Arena on
November 5, as Manchester City could only draw 2-2 at CSKA
Moscow earlier on Tuesday.
It took Bayern just eight minutes to find the breakthrough as
Robben played a swift one-two with Philipp Lahm before
cutting inside former Chelsea team-mate Ashley Cole down the
Roma left and providing a trademark curling finish into the far
corner.
Roma almost found a quick response when Gervinho latched on
to Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa's through ball, but he was thwarted by a
smart stop from Neuer.
However, Roma's evening soon unravelled in stunning fashion.
First, Gotze finished a wonderfully crafted move after 23
minutes, receiving a flick from Muller and side-footing into the
left-hand corner from the edge of the box.
It became 3-0 less than two minutes later when the unmarked
Lewandowski adjusted his feet well in the penalty area to head
home Juan Bernat's left-wing cross.
Lewandowski then turned provider for the fourth with a well-
weighted pass for Robben and his strike was too powerful for
Roma goalkeeper Morgan De Sanctis.
The fifth arrived 10 minutes before the break when Kostas
Manolas was harshly adjudged to have handled while sliding to
block David Alaba's low cross and Muller placed the resulting
penalty into the bottom right-hand corner.
With the game essentially over as a contest, Bayern relaxed after
the break and Roma almost capitalised when Gervinho's shot
rebounded off the post in the 54th minute.
Shortly after, substitute Florenzi's half-volley brought the best
out of Neuer, who stood tall to beat away the shot.
Neuer then showed why he is considered one of the best
goalkeepers in the world when he somehow kept out Gervinho's
point-blank shot inside the six-yard box after he met Miralem
Pjanic's free-kick.
Gervinho finally got the better of Neuer, though, when he
nodded home Radja Nainggolan's cross at the back post.
Bayern were not finished, though, and Ribery's sublime deft
chip restored his side's five-goal lead before De Sanctis spilled
Rafinha's 20-yard shot and Shaqiri rounded the goalkeeper to
slot home.
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless handheld from Glo Mobile.
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