Robert Lewandowski opened the scoring against AEK Athens with a penalty for Bayern Munich in the first half. - © © gettyimages
Robert Lewandowski opened the scoring against AEK Athens with a penalty for Bayern Munich in the first half. - © © gettyimages

Robert Lewandowski double puts Bayern Munich in pole position for Champions League knockout rounds

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Robert Lewandowski scored both goals against AEK Athens as Bayern Munich look set to qualify from Group E in the UEFA Champions League, setting the Bundesliga champions up well for this weekend's Klassiker against Borussia Dortmund.

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As it happened

Bayern Munich 2-0 AEK Athens

Goals: 1-0 Lewandowski (31’), 2-0 Lewandowski (71’)

Bayern came into the game as clear favourites, but no game in the UEFA Champions League is easy and it proved that way in the opening minutes. Defender Vasilis Lampropoulos met a corner and glanced a header narrowly wide, before Bayern took control. Despite controlling possession, Niko Kovac’s side were struggling to breakdown their opponents until half an hour had been played. Lewandowski was brought down in the box at a Joshua Kimmich corner, and the number nine duly slotted home to give his team the lead.

Bayern took a stranglehold on the game and didn’t let go in the second half. Lewandowski missed a chance for his second, but made no mistake after 71 minutes. Kimmich’s corner was flicked on at the near post by Thomas Müller and the Pole volleyed home in style to seal the win. Bayern remain top of their group and are closing in on qualification for the last 16, while also setting themselves up well for Saturday’s Klassiker against Dortmund.

Match stats

    Bayern have never lost to Greek opposition (W9, D2).After going 14 European games without defeat (W4, D10), Athens have lost four consecutive matches in continental football. Bayern have won the European Cup and/or Champions League five times (1974-76, 2001, 2013) while AEK’s best finish was the European Cup quarter-final in 1968/69. Robert Lewandowski’s first goal put him level with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Andriy Shevchenko on 48 Champions League goals.Müller is the Munich club’s record UEFA Champions League goalscorer with 42. Manuel Neuer (31) needs just three more clean sheets to overtake Oliver Kahn with the record number of UEFA Champions League clean sheets for Bayern.

Line-ups

Bayern: Neuer (c) - Kimmich, Hummels, Boateng, Alaba - Martinez – Gnabry (Sanches 87’), Goretzka, Müller, Ribery (Rafinha 84’) – Lewandowski (Wagner 90+1’)
Unused subs: Ulreich, Süle, James, Shabani
Absentees: Coman (ankle), Robben (calf), Thiago (ankle), Tolisso (knee)
Coach: Niko Kovac

AEK: Barkas - Bakakis, Lampropoulos, Chygrynskiy, Cosic, Hult – Galanopoulos (Galo 78’), Andre Simoes, Alef (Moran 67’) - Mantalos (c) (Boye 80’) – Ponce
Unused subs: Tsintotas, Svarnas, Gianniotas, Giakoumakis
Absentees: Lopes (cruciate ligament)
Coach: Marinos Ouzounidis

As it happened

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