Podolski leaves outclassed Dons down and out

European

Bayern Munich 5 Aberdeen 1 (Bayern win 7-3 on agg.)

Friday, February 22, 2008

Bayern Munich ended Aberdeen's Uefa Cup adventure in emphatic style last night as Jimmy Calderwood's side endured a trying 90 minutes after holding the German giants to a draw in the first leg at Pittodrie.

Brazilian defender Lucio set the home side on their way in the 12th minute and Daniel van Buyten made it two nine minutes before the break.

Two goals from Lukas Podolski put the result beyond doubt with 13 minutes remaining before Steve Lovell netted a consolation for the visitors in the 83rd minute. Two minutes later, Mark van Bommel completed the scoring as Bayern eased into the next round.

With barely a minute played Bayern hit the bar after Luca Toni chested down a Lucio cross for Podolski to fire in a shot from the edge of the penalty area.

Aberdeen's first shot on goal came in the 10th minute with captain Scott Severin firing well over the bar from 25 yards out.

Less than two minutes later, the home side were ahead thanks to a blistering 20-yard free-kick from Lucio. He smashed his shot almost through the hands of Jamie Langfield in the Aberdeen goal, who was beaten by the sheer pace of the strike.

Aberdeen looked rattled but regrouped and almost equalised when Alan Maybury put Darren Mackie through on goal but he pulled his shot just wide of the left post with only Oliver Kahn to beat.

However, Bayern doubled their lead nine minutes before half-time. Sone Aluko tripped Marcell Jansen just to the left of the penalty area and Kroos' free-kick was headed into the roof of the net from close range by Van Buyten.

Aberdeen kept plugging away and thought they had reduced the arrears in the 55th minute through Mackie but his strike was ruled out for offside.

Bayern got their third goal in the 72nd minute when Podolski fired the rebound into the roof of the net after substitute Miroslav Klosé's shot had been parried by Langfield.

Podolski then scored his second five minutes later, ghosting in to head Bastian Schweinsteiger's corner in at the far post.

However, Lovell scored a consolation for the Dons, tapping in Barry Nicholson's free-kick in at the far post to give the travelling fans something to smile about.

The joy lasted just two minutes before Van Bommel restored Bayern's four-goal lead with a low shot into the bottom corner of Langfield's goal.

Bayern Munich (4-4-2): Kahn; Sagnol, Lucio, Van Buyten, Jansen; Altintop (Schweinsteiger, 75), Ottl, Van Bommel, Kroos (Sosa, 69); Toni (Klosé, 65), Podolski. Substitutes not used: Rensing (gk), Schlaudraff, Lahm, Lell.

Aberdeen (4-4-2): Langfield; Foster, Diamond, Considine, Maybury; Severin, Nicholson, Walker (Maguire, 62), Mackie (De Visscher, 72); Aluko (Lovell, 79), Miller. Substitutes not used: Soutar (gk), Touzani, Mair, Bus.

Referee: R Malek (Poland).