Strong home win propels FC Bayern Munich to Champions League semis

FC Bayern Munich took one big step on the “Road to Berlin” in the Champions League this week with a huge 6-1 win over FC Porto. Read on to learn how the match unfolded, and join DHL in wishing the team good luck in the next round!

Pep Guardiola’s men had an uphill battle coming into their quarterfinal clash against FC Porto in the Champions League: in the first leg on the road in Porto, the Portuguese side got the best of Bayern, winning 3-1. That meant Bayern were in a must-win situation for the second leg in Munich.

But, true to form as a world-class team, FC Bayern rose to the challenge. Five goals over a span of 26 minutes gave Bayern the upper hand very quickly in the first half, sending them into the break with a 5-0 lead.

That margin was certainly comfortable enough for the win, but the team that advances to the next round is determined based on a number of factors, and in this case, it would come down to which team scored more away goals. Bayern had one, meaning they could not allow Porto to score two in the Allianz Arena.

But at the game progressed, it was clear to see there was little danger of that happening. With the exception of Jackson Martínez’s goal for the guests in the 73rd minute, Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer held everything Porto sent his way.

"What we've seen today is like a dream" (Karl-Heinz Rummenigge)

The difference between Bayern’s shaky loss in Porto and their dominant win in Munich? In the second match, the whole team was firing on all cylinders.

“We were all at 100 percent,” said Bayern’s Mario Götze. “We wanted to make it to the semifinal.”

In the end, Bayern’s 6-1 will go down as one of the team’s legendary matchups – a night that brought a smile to everyone’s face and will leave long-lasting memories.

“I haven’t experienced many nights like that, and I’ve been around for a while,” said FC Bayern Munich board chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. “It’s one of those evenings where you go home and say to yourself, ‘what we’ve seen today is like a dream.’”

The win marks the fourth season in a row that FC Bayern Munich have advanced to the semifinals of the Champions League, a first for the club. They’ll face Barcelona in the semifinals - a classic matchup that is anything but a cakewalk for the Bavarians!

At DHL, we’re thrilled to see FC Bayern progress on the road to the Champions League final in Berlin. May promises to be an exciting month for the team: the Champions League matches against Barcelona are on May 5 and May 13, the Bunesliga title is theirs for the taking, the German Cup is up for grabs, and we'll get our first glimpse of their new jerseys for next season. For news on all that and more, check back regularly with DHL InMotion!