Brilliant Liverpool humble Bayern Munich

March 14, 2019

Liverpool midfielder Sadio Mane (second left) scores his side’s third goal during the Champions League round-of-16 second leg match between Bayern Munich and Liverpool at the Allianz Arena, in Munich, Germany, yesterday.
Liverpool midfielder Sadio Mane (second left) scores his side’s third goal during the Champions League round-of-16 second leg match between Bayern Munich and Liverpool at the Allianz Arena, in Munich, Germany, yesterday.

MUNICH (AP):

Sadio Mane scored twice to send Juergen Klopp's Liverpool into the Champions League quarter-finals with a 3-1 win at Bayern Munich in the second leg of the last-16 yesterday.

Mane opened the scoring with a delicate finish in the 26th minute and added Liverpool's third in the 84th by heading in Mohamed Salah's cross as Bayern desperately sought a way back into the game.

Serge Gnabry had forced an own goal from Joel Matip to equalise in the 39th, but Liverpool went ahead again through a corner when Virgil Van Dijk met James Milner's cross with a thumping header in the 69th.

Liverpool advanced 3-1 on aggregate after a scoreless first leg, putting four English teams into the quarter-finals for the first time since 2009. Manchester United, Tottenham and Manchester City also advanced.

It's the first time since 2006 that there will be no German team among the last eight.

"We deserved to lose today. Liverpool were the better team in two games. Today we were shown our limits," said Bayern coach Niko Kovac, whose side claimed the Bundesliga lead at the weekend.

Klopp, who previously coached Bayern's old foe Borussia Dortmund, led the away fans' celebrations after the final whistle.

Bayern had lost only one of their previous 18 competitive games and were confident of finishing the job against Liverpool after racking up 12 goals in the three games they played since their draw.

But the side failed to really threaten Alisson Becker's goal, even after Liverpool lost their captain Jordan Henderson with an apparent ankle injury in the 13th. Fabinho came on to replace the midfielder.

Liverpool started slowly until a mistake from Manuel Neuer in his 100th game in the competition led to the opener. The Bayern 'keeper rushed out of goal and Mane turned to elude him and defender Rafinha before chipping the ball into the unguarded net.

Matip's own goal got Bayern back in the game, but this time there was no heroic comeback. Bayern came from two goals down against Juventus at the same stage to win 4-2 three years ago.

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