Italy striker Luca Toni's four goals fired former European
champion Bayern Munich into the knockout stages of the UEFA Cup
after a 6-0 rout of Aris Salonika in its final group game on
Wednesday.
Bayern Munich's Bastian
Schweinsteiger (left) tangles with Garcia Ronald of Thessaloniki
during their UEFA Cup clash in Munich on Wednesday. The host won
6-0 to advance.
Victory in front of 64,000 fans in freezing temperatures in
Munich sent the Bundesliga leader through as Group F winner and
means Bayern will avoid one of the eight third-placed Champions
League sides who enter the last 32 draw today.
Toni, fully fit after a recent hamstring strain, pounced twice
from close range in the first half after blunders from keeper
Konstantinos Chalkias and added two in quick succession midway
through the second period.
Christian Lell and Philipp Lahm completed the demolition while
Frenchman Franck Ribery was in sparkling form for Bayern.
"I'm glad we were able to make something up to our fans with the
goal-scoring festival," coach Ottmar Hitzfeld said after Bayern's
comprehensive win erased memories of goalless draws in their last
two league matches against Duisburg and Hertha Berlin.
"We totally dominated. It was just a question of time for the
goals to start dropping in. I would have preferred if we could have
got one or two of the goals in Bundesliga matches. But it's good
that we broke the ice."
About Toni, Hitzfeld added: "Luca can smell where the ball might
come through. He anticipates so well."
Bayern, which tops the Bundesliga heading into the long
mid-season break, handed a recall to keeper Oliver Kahn.
Kahn was hit with a 25,000 euros (US$36,720) fine and a
one-match suspension last week after he criticized two of his
teammates and left the club's Christmas party early.
Aris was eliminated with Braga, 2-0 winner over Red Star
Belgrade, and Bolton Wanderers, also progressing from the
group.
Galatasaray, the 2000 winner, sneaked through as the third-place
finisher in Group H after it drew 0-0 at home to Austria Vienna and
Panionios contrived to lose 2-3 at home to a virtual Girondins
Bordeaux reserve side after being 2-0 up.
Galatasaray went through on a better goal difference than the
Greek outfit. The Turks were three minutes away from elimination
until Bordeaux substitute Wielfried Moimbe scored a late winner for
the already qualified French team to break the hearts of Athens
club Panionios. Spain's Getafe finished top of Group G after a 2-1
home win over Belgian champion Anderlecht sent both sides through
as Hapoel Tel Aviv, which began the night in contention, lost 1-3
at home to AaB Aalborg.
Progress is some relief for Anderlecht which has endured a
dreadful season, failing to qualify for the group stages of the
Champions League and sitting in a modest seventh in the Belgian
championship, 13 points off the pace.
Bayer Leverkusen's impressive 5-0 win at Zurich, with Dmitri
Bulykin scoring twice, sent the German side through as Group E
winner. Spartak Moscow missed out on top spot after going down 1-2
at Toulouse.
Group winners will play the third-place finishers in the last 32
in February, playing the second legs at home, while the runners-up
face one of the demoted Champions League sides. The final is in
Manchester on May 14.
(Agencies via Shanghai Daily December 21, 2007)
