Bayern hit Atalanta for six in UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg
Bayern Munich all but booked their place in this season's UEFA Champions League quarter-finals after cruising to a 6-1 win in their last-16 first leg at Atalanta.
Atalanta 1-6 Bayern Munich
Goals: 0-1 Stanišić 12’ (assist: Gnabry), 0-2 Olise 22’ (assist: Upamecano), 0-3 Gnabry 25’ (assist: Olise), 0-4 Jackson 52’ (assist: Díaz), 0-5 Olise 64’ (assist: Davies), 0-6 Musiala 67’ (assist: Jackson), 1-6 Pašalić 90’+3 (assist: Krstović)
Bayern wasted no time asserting their dominance, with Michael Olise testing Marco Carnesecchi in the fourth minute. The visitors continued to press forward and broke the deadlock in the 12th minute through a clever corner routine. Olise took it quickly to Serge Gnabry, who squared for Josip Stanišić to tap home from close range.
Atalanta struggled to respond and were punished again in the 22nd minute when Olise cut inside from the right before curling a precise left-footed shot into the bottom corner. The Bergamo side barely had time to react before falling further behind three minutes later, as Olise turned provider for Gnabry, who finished confidently past Carnesecchi after a well-timed run.
Bayern continued to create chances and nearly added a fourth when Gnabry struck the crossbar just before the interval.
No let-up from ruthless Bayern
Kompany made two changes at half-time, introducing Alphonso Davies and Jamal Musiala for Konrad Laimer and Gnabry. The alterations did nothing to disrupt Bayern's rhythm, and they extended their lead seven minutes after the restart. Luis Díaz provided a clever assist for Nicolas Jackson, who slotted home to make it 4-0.
By now, Atalanta were completely overwhelmed, and Olise claimed his second goal in the 64th minute with another fine finish from the edge of the area, this time finding the top corner. Three minutes later, Musiala tapped in from close range after good work by Jackson to make it 6-0.
The only sour notes for Bayern were injuries to Davies, who left the field in tears around the 70-minute mark, as well as Musiala and goalkeeper Jonas Urbig, who picked up knocks in stoppage time.
Mario Pašalić netted a consolation for the hosts in the 93rd minute, but it did little to dampen Bayern's emphatic statement of intent ahead of the return leg in Munich on 18 March.
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