Serge Gnabry (C) of Bayern Munich vies with Yassine Meriah (L) of Olympiacos during the UEFA Champions League Group B match between FC Bayern Munich of Germany and Olympiacos Piraeus of Greece in Munich, Germany, on Nov. 6, 2019. (Photo by Philippe Ruiz/Xinhua)
Late goals from Robert Lewandowski and substitute Ivan Perisic lifted Bayern Munich to 2-0 victory over Olympiacos in UEFA Champions League.
BERLIN, Nov. 6 (Xinhua) -- Bayern Munich advanced into the UEFA Champions League round of 16 on Wednesday after beating Olympiacos thanks to late goals from Robert Lewandowski and substitute Ivan Perisic.
The record German champions dominated their visitors from Greece for the entire match but still had to wait until the closing period to turn their dominance into a tangible reward.
In Hansi Flick's first match as interim head coach, Bayern gained the upper hand from the kick-off but Olympiacos' well-organized defense proved difficult to break down, with goalkeeper Jose Sa saving well from Kingsley Coman and Thomas Muller.
Bayern Munich players pose for a group photo before their UEFA Champions League Group B match against Olympiacos in Munich, Germany, on Nov. 6, 2019. (Photo by Philippe Ruiz/Xinhua)
Bayern almost grabbed the opener before the break, but Benjamin Pavard's header bounced off the post to conclude a first half which took place mainly in Olympiacos territory.
After the restart, Bayern started where they left off and continued to dominate, as Sa had to be smart to deny Leon Goretzka's drive and Coman's effort from a tight angle.
The hosts continued on the front foot but custodian Sa seemed to be an impassable barrier for Bayern, who besieged the Olympiacos penalty area as the match progressed.
Bayern were finally rewarded for their persistence in the 69th minute, when Lewandowski touched Coman's low cross to the near post with the outside of his boot to beat Sa from close range.
Kingsley Coman (R) of Bayern Munich vies with Konstantinos Tsimikas of Olympiacos during their UEFA Champions League Group B match on Nov. 6, 2019. (Photo by Philippe Ruiz/Xinhua)
Flick's men gained momentum and made sure of the victory 20 minutes later, when Ivan Perisic - who had come on from the bench just one minute earlier - poked home a loose ball from inside the box to put the result beyond doubt.
With their victory, Bayern Munich top Group B with 12 points, while Olympiacos sit bottom with only one point from four games.
"I am delighted with the performance of the team, we reached the last 16. The situation wasn't easy but we implemented exactly what we had practised," Bayern coach Flick said.■
