Lewy fires Reds into final

FC Bayern beat Al Ahly 2-0 on Monday, advancing to the FIFA Club World Cup final. Robert Lewandowski rewarded Bayern's first-half-dominance after a quarter-hour. Bayern were wasteful with their chances before easing off after half-time, but Lewandowski put the game to bed in the closing stages. Munich take on Mexican side Tigres in the final on Thursday.

Bayern started with Manuel Neuer in goal and Benjamin Pavard, Jérôme Boateng, David Alaba and Alphonso Davies in a back four. Joshua Kimmich and Marc Roca featured in a twin holding role behind Kingsley Coman, Thomas Müller and Serge Gnabry, with hitman Lewandowski up front. Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, Leroy Sané and Corentin Tolisso took over from Müller, Gnabry and Roca midway through the second half, Niklas Süle and Jamal Musiala replacing Boateng and Coman with a quarter-hour to go.

First-half dominance

Munich were dominant throughout the first half, a Gnabry header giving notice of their approach. Keeper El Shenawy proved equal to a Müller header, but Lewandowski soon drew first blood, slotting home from a Gnabry cutback. Roca first just wide and saw another effort saved two minutes later.

Gnabry warmed El Shenawy's gloves before Lewandowski fired over the bar. Davied rifled wide, Kimmich seeing an effort saved, and Bayern were only one goal up at half-time.

Lewy settles it

The second half was more balanced, Bayern struggling with stray passing and proving uninspired in attack. Hussein El Shahat saw a shot blocked before El Shenawy tipped a Müller header over the bar. A Pavard cross almost forced a own goal but Ayman Ashraf diverted the ball into the side-netting.

The German record champions reasserted their authority now, Choupo-Moting drawing a save from El Shenawy before Tolisso and Alaba miscued from distance. Alaba saw another effort blocked, but Lewandowski closed out the meeting with five minutes to go, a Sané cross inviting the world's best player to nod home from point-blank range and round off his brace. Neuer denied Mohamed Sherif and Lewandowski fired over, but Bayern came a step closer to a fourth intercontinental trophy in the club's history.

Live match report for fcbayern.com by Greg Salmen