New Delhi, March 11: 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 Stanisic, 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’s incessant pressure paid off handsomely as the German champions took firm control of their tie with Atalanta.
Josip Stanišić’s tap-in set the visitors on their way before a quickfire double from Serge Gnabry and Michael Olise made it 3-0 inside 25 minutes. There was no let-up, though.
Nicolas Jackson added a fine counterattacking goal after the restart before Olise bent in his second with a similar effort to his first. Substitute Jamal Musiala struck a sixth midway through the second half but it was Atalanta’s Mario Pasalic who had the final word, pulling one back in added time.
Meanwhile, Galatasaray head to Anfield next Wednesday with a narrow advantage after Mario Lemina’s seventh-minute header ultimately decided a fast-paced encounter in Istanbul.
Lemina converted after Victor Osimhen redirected Gabriel Sara’s corner into his path, the only goal of a frenetic first half that could have featured several more – Florian Wirtz and Davinson Sánchez among those to threaten.
It was more of the same in the second period, Liverpool coming closest when Alexis Mac Allister shot just wide before Hugo Ekitike was brilliantly denied by Ugurcan Cakır.
In another match, Lamine Yamal converted a last-gasp penalty to earn Barcelona a draw at Newcastle to take into next Wednesday’s second legs.
Yamal’s added-time penalty with the last kick of the contest denied Newcastle another famous win, the Barcelona winger holding his nerve to send Aaron Ramsdale the wrong way after Malick Thiaw had fouled Dani Olmo.
The Magpies, beaten 2-1 at St James’ Park by Barca on Matchday 1, were on course for a narrow first-leg victory after Harvey Barnes’ first-time effort following Jacob Murphy’s pinpoint cross with four minutes to go.
The hosts always appeared the likelier of the two sides to open the scoring, a Barnes curler smacking the inside of the upright in the second half before the England international got the late breakthrough. Yamal had the last word, though.
–IANS