LAHORE: FC Bayern Munich have ‘almost’ secured their spot in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final for a seventh straight season after thrashing 10-man Besiktas 5-0 in Germany.
The Turkish club’s positive start was wrecked when they went one man down as early as the 16th minute when Domagoj Vida brought down Robert Lewandowski.
Referee Ovidiu Hategan dismissed Vida for preventing a clear goalscoring opportunity and Besiktas were fortunate their misery was not compounded by James Rodríguez’s subsequent free-kick, which was curled just wide.
Thomas Müller and Lewandowski both netted twice while Kingsley Coman also scored for the five-times European Cup winners.
The visitors had one great chance to go ahead through Vágner Love, who beat Mats Hummels and Jérôme Boateng only to poke harmlessly over when through.