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Gnabry stars as Bayern rock Chelsea
LONDON, Feb 26, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Serge Gnabry fired Bayern Munich to the
brink of the Champions League quarter-finals as the German’s double inspired
a superb 3-0 rout of Chelsea in the last-16 first leg at Stamford Bridge on
Tuesday.
Gnabry had tormented Tottenham Hotspur with four goals in Bayern’s 7-2
victory in north London earlier this season and the former Arsenal winger
returned to the English capital to push Chelsea to the brink of elimination.
The 24-year-old’s time with Arsenal was a disappointment and he even
flopped during a loan spell at West Bromwich Albion.
But he has been reborn with Bayern and his two goals in the space of three
minutes left Hansi Flick’s side within touching distance of the last eight.
Robert Lewandowski got Bayern’s third before Chelsea defender Marcos Alonso
was sent off in the 83rd minute.
Chelsea will need another Munich miracle in the second leg on March 18 to
overturn the deficit at the Allianz Arena, where they famously beat the
German club in the 2012 Champions League final.
“I have a lot of friends here. A lot of them were in the stands and I think
they were giving me good power,” Gnabry told BT Sport of his London goal
streak.
“Three goals should give us a lot of confidence. But we need to be prepared
for the second leg and we can’t take it serious enough.
“We saw last season with Liverpool beating Barcelona, we know we have to be
careful and focus.”
This hasn’t been a vintage year for Bayern, but they have been energised
since the exit of disliked boss Niko Kovac and outclassed Chelsea in all
phases.
None of the previous six teams to have won all of their Champions League
group games have lifted the trophy that season, but five-time winners Bayern
will fancy their chances of breaking that duck if they can maintain this
form.
Chelsea boss Frank Lampard admitted his young team were “underdogs” against
a club of Bayern’s vast European experience and his pre-match prediction
proved spot on in a chastening defeat.
“The performance was poor and sometimes you have to be brutally honest.
They outclassed us in every department and it’s quite sobering,” Lampard
said.
“I’m disappointed we couldn’t do more against them. We have to take it on
the chin and work towards getting back to the levels we want to be at.”
Bayern set the tone when Thomas Mueller forced a save from Willy Caballero
inside the first minute after stealing possession from Jorginho.
Flick had warned Chelsea that Lewandowski was in the “form of his life” and
the Bayern striker escaped Andreas Christensen for a stinging shot that
Caballero blocked with his face.
– Irresistible Bayern –
Bayern’s pressure was mounting and Mueller drifted onto Gnabry’s cross to
flick a back header against the bar.
Lampard had kept faith with Olivier Giroud after the 33-year-old marked his
first start since November with a goal in Saturday’s win against Tottenham.
But retaining Giroud at the expense of Tammy Abraham was a big gamble and
the Chelsea striker’s muscular but immobile presence offered little to
unsettle Bayern.
Bayern deservedly took the lead in the 51st minute with a superbly crafted
goal.
Gnabry’s deft control and pass sent Lewandowski into the Chelsea area and
when he cut the ball back, his team-mate made a perfectly-timed run to fire
low past Caballero.
Moving the ball with pace and precision, Bayern were irresistible and they
increased their lead three minutes later thanks to another impressive
combination from the Gnabry and Lewandowski double act.
Lewandowski nodded onto Gnabry, took the return pass from the winger and
played a sublime through ball to Gnabry, who had accelerated away from the
Chelsea defence to guide a cool finish into the far corner.
Bayern weren’t finished yet and Lewandowski became the first Bayern player
to score in six consecutive Champions League matches when he tapped in from
Alphonso Davies’s 76th-minute cross for his 39th goal of the season.
Alonso’s frustration at Chelsea’s plight boiled over when he was sent off
for whacking Lewandowski with his arm.
BSS/AFP/GMR/0833 hrs