Bayern hit Atalanta for six in first leg

FC Bayern claimed a 6-1 first-leg win away at Atalanta on Tuesday night to put themselves in a promising position to reach the Champions League quarter-finals. Josip Stanišić, Michael Olise and Serge Gnabry handed Bayern a comfortable 3-0 lead before half-time. Nicolas Jackson, Olise and Jamal Musiala rounded off the half dozen, before Mario Pašalić’s added-time consolation for the hosts.

Bayern lined up with Jonas Urbig in goal and Stanišić, Dayot Upamecano, Jonathan Tah and Konrad Laimer in defence. Joshua Kimmich and Aleksandar Pavlović anchored a midfield featuring Olise, Gnabry and Luis Díaz, with Jackson up front. Alphonso Davies and Musiala took over from Laimer and Gnabry at half-time, with Leon Goretzka coming on for Pavlović midway through the second half. Davies later had to be subbed off with injury, Tom Bischof taking over. Raphaël Guerreiro replaced Stanišić in the closing stages.

Clinical display

Bayern were dominant throughout, although the first moment of note fell to the home side, with Nicola Zalewski’s cross-cum-shot going wide. Olise tested Atalanta keeper Marco Carnesecchi and saw a free-kick go over, but Bayern took an early lead when Olise’s quick thinking at a corner corner found Gnabry, who played it on for Stanišić to slot home from close range.

Vincent Kompany’s side kept going when Upamecano charged forward and teed up Olise, who cut inside from the right and curled into the far corner from 20 yards. Bayern soon made it three, with Urbig’s punt finding Olise, who produced a fine first touch and invited Gnabry to beat Carnesecchi. Urbig denied Nikola Krstović before Díaz sidestepped a defender and passed to Jackson, who saw his effort saved. Upamecano fired wide from distance before Gnabry saw a shot saved and shaved the crossbar shortly before half-time.

Hit for six

Proceedings were similar after the restart and a Pavlović effort was saved, but Bayern had a fourth as they countered from an Atalanta free-kick, Díaz’s back-heel finding Jackson to finish. It was 5-0 just after an hour when Olise produced almost a carbon copy of his first goal. Musiala buried past Carnesecchi from Jackson’s cross to round off the half dozen with 67 minutes gone in Bergamo.

Berat Djimsiti scrambled away a Kimmich effort and Upamecano’s header crashed off the post in the search for a seventh, but the hosts got one back in added time when Pašalić turned in after Krstović and Urbig collided going for a cross.

The Bavarians will be back in action on Saturday when they travel to face Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga. The second leg at the Allianz Arena is next Wednesday.

Live match report for fcbayern.com by Greg Salmen