Commanding Bayern advance to quarter-finals

FC Bayern beat Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 on Tuesday night to advance to the Champions League quarter-finals. Harry Kane handed Bayern the lead after half-time and Alphonso Davies rounded off the scoreline as FCB won 5-0 on aggregate.

Munich lined up with Jonas Urbig in goal and Konrad Laimer, Dayot Upamecano, Minjae Kim and Davies in defence. Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka anchored a midfield featuring Michael Olise, Jamal Musiala and Kingsley Coman, with Kane up front. Josip Stanišić came on for Laimer at half-time, with Serge Gnabry, Hiroki Ito, João Palhinha and Thomas Müller taking over from Coman, Olise, Goretzka and Kane in the second half.

No goals

It was an evenly balanced affair in the first half. Bayern had the first chance when Musiala sidestepped a defender and cut back to Kane, who saw his effort scrambled off the line. Alejandro Grimaldo skied a free-kick, with Kane seeing a shot from distance saved.

Olise and Coman fired just wide before Patrik Schick miscued a header. Leverkusen forced a string of corners and latest Schick's header found the side-netting as the tie remained goalless on the night, with Vincent Kompany's men still three up on aggregate.

Deserved victory

Olise saw a shot deflected behind after the restart, but Bayern took the lead when Kimmich's forensic free-kick found Kane, who tapped in from close range. Coman saw an effort repelled before Urbig made strong saves against Jeremie Frimpong and Schick.

Munich settled the tie when Kane found the unmarked Davies, who fired home. Musiala hit the woodwork twice and saw another shot blocked in a frenetic closing stage, with Urbig denying Exequiel Palacios as Bayern booked an deserved berth in the Champions League last eight.

The Bavarians will be back in action on Saturday when they travel to face Union Berlin in the Bundesliga. Their next Champions League opponents will be Inter Milan, with the first leg to be staged in early April.

Live match report for fcbayern.com by Greg Salmen