Bayern Munich maintained their 100 per cent record in
UEFA Champions League Group D by thrashing Viktoria Plzen 5-0 at the Allianz
Arena.
Franck Ribery scored twice to take his tally to three
goals in his last two Champions League games as the European champions sent out
another message of intent.
Pep Guardiola's side dominated from start to finish, with
David Alaba, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Mario Gotze also on target as Czech
champions Plzen were totally outclassed.
Free-scoring Bayern have scored 11 goals in their first
three Group D matches and they will take some stopping on this evidence, while
Plzen are yet to pick up a point.
Ribery (ankle) was passed fit to return to Bayern's starting
line-up as Thomas Muller dropped to the bench.
Guardiola drafted in left-back Diego Contento to partner
Daniel van Buyten at the heart of the Bayern defence in the absence of Dante
(ankle) and Jerome Boateng (suspension).
Plzen, meanwhile, were boosted by the return of defender
David Limbersky from a calf injury after a month on the sidelines.
The Germans wasted no time in putting the Czech champions
on the back foot and Arjen Robben should have scored just five minutes in, when
Mario Mandzukic nodded the ball into the Dutch winger's path, but he failed to
hit the target from six yards out.
Plzen were struggling to contain the European champions
and they fell behind after 26 minutes, when Robben waltzed into the penalty
area and was upended by Roman Hubnik.
Ribery cooly placed the resulting spot-kick into the
bottom-right corner of the net for his second Champions League goal of the
season.
It was one-way traffic, and Bayern and could have had a
second goal two minutes later as the lively Robben released Mandzukic and the
Croatia striker dragged the ball back inside, only for goalkeeper Matus Kozacik
to come out to narrow the angle and deny him.
Kozacik then kept out a Van Buyten header from close
range, but he could do nothing to
prevent Alaba doubling Bayern's lead eight minutes before half-time when the
Austrian full-back cut inside and found the bottom corner.
Plzen looked mesmerised by Bayern's slick movement and
another fine spell resulted in Ribery crossing for Mandzukic to slot home from
close range, but the striker was adjudged to be offside.
France winger Ribery then opted to go it alone after 61
minutes, when he turned his marker inside out on the edge of the box before
dinking the ball over the advancing Kozacik and into the net.
Three minutes later, Gotze made an instant impact after coming off the bench as he laid on a
fourth goal for Schweinsteiger, who turned sharply and produced a clinical
finish.
Gotze then got his name on the scoresheet in time added
on when he converted Robben's inviting cross to seal the win.
Culled from Fourfourtwo
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