Bayern extended their winning run at home in the Champions League to seven games, and also equalled Borussia Dortmund’s German record of five wins at the group stage, with a convincing 3-0 win over Swiss champions Basel on Wednesday. The Bavarians might in fact have won by more, although that would have been a touch harsh on the visitors, who fought their corner gamely for long periods.
The 66,000 capacity crowd at the Allianz Arena saw an entertaining first period in which the Swiss side held their own for half an hour, but the underdogs were punished for a couple of glaring misses by a Franck Ribery and Anatoliy Tymoshchuk double whammy before half-time. Ribery made it three early in the second half, and although the pace dropped after that, there were still plenty of chances at both ends to provide good value for the spectators.
Bayern were already assured of first place in Group E before kick-off, and have finished the stage with 15 points from their six matches. AS Roma also progress to the last sixteen in second spot, with Basel entering the Europa League after Christmas, and CFR Cluj’s involvement in European competition ending for this season. The Bavarians are in action again this Saturday at home to struggling St Pauli on Bundesliga Matchday 16.
Topics of this article