For Manchester City to sail so serenely past the six-times European champions shows how far Pep Guardiola has already taken them. The big question now is can they go all the way and finally seal the glory of a first Champions League triumph.
Next up is a semi-final with the holders Real Madrid who knocked City out at the same stage last year and can draw on the pedigree of a record 14 victories in the competition.
Guardiola would never be presumptive but for the neutral what now roves into view is the prospect of his gilded team needing to win a maximum 13 more matches to land a treble that would cast them as immortals.
This is all for the coming weeks. Here City could afford to see Erling Haaland shank a penalty and still keep Bayern to a 1-1 draw in a febrile atmosphere that was a true test of their mettle. In the day it rained hard under a steel-grey sky in this industrial area of Munich but by kick-off the wet stuff cleared and Bayern fired an early warning, Kingsley Coman’s arrowed cross headed away by John Stones.
Then, in what was Bayern’s ploy, City’s high line was sprung. Benjamin Pavard chipped beyond Nathan Aké and Coman galloped along the right. With the visitors scrambling he pinged the ball in and, again, City escaped. Here was the pace Guardiola had referenced as a potent German weapon. At home, where Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona had been defeated in twin 2-0 results, this was to be expected, as was the noise from a Bavarian faithful roaring their men on.
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Guardiola, who chose the same XI as last week’s first leg, was happier to see Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne combine as the latter rolled the ball into the area where Yann Sommer collected.
It was a rare moment of respite. City were being shredded along both flanks. Down their right, Leroy Sané, fed by a Jamal Musiala pass, raced clear and beat an onrushing Ederson but not the right-hand post.
This pumped up the volume and heartbeats – particularly Bayern’s in the moment that had Haaland seemingly behind the defence. Dayot Upamecano stuck a boot out, over went the No 9, and out came Clément Turpin’s red card. But the centre-back and his side were reprieved as Haaland was ruled offside – marginally.
A breathless spectacle continued with Ederson beating away a Sané free-kick and Coman, having switched to the left, initiating a sequence that ended in Leon Goretzka spooning over.
City, in weathering these storms, were unable to settle. Tuchel talked of Bayern winning each half and they were certainly ahead on points in this opening one but yet to land the blow of an opener.
Germany’s champions were a red blur and if they could breach their opponent, they might go on to achieve the apparently impossible. This was an evening for firm hearts from those in yellow and black. Get to the interval intact and City could catch a second wind and regroup for what might be an even more torrid half.
But, then, in a rare foray upfield the priceless prize of a penalty was claimed. Or so they believed. It was awarded after Ilkay Gündogan’s shot hit Upamecano’s left arm. Up stepped Haaland but, astonishingly, he ballooned the spot-kick over.
Disbelief was followed by Allianz Arena noise becoming ear-splitting, Coman blazing at Ederson, the latter being booked for time-wasting, then booting his goalkick straight out. The sight of Gündogan and Joshua Kimmich having a set-to and also being given yellow cards summed up the fevered feelings.
If City could hog possession for a sustained phase they might kill the sound around them and dampen Bayern’s spirit. Yet Sané was soon dipping in a corner as the second half appeared to continue the pattern of the first.
Witnessing Guardiola’s charges under the cosh is a rarity. So befuddled were they that when Jack Grealish teed Haaland up the usually lethal marksman’s cool deserted him and his effort was hurried. Not the next time, though.
After Coman once more tore forward and flipped the ball across Sommer’s goal, City launched a counterattack, via Stones. The ball came to De Bruyne from a Haaland nod-back, he shrugged off Upamecano, then his curving delivery was pounced on by Haaland, who drilled his shot across Sommer for a 4-0 aggregate lead and, surely, a last-four date with Real.
Guardiola and his bench celebrated in a show of joy – and relief because this was precisely what was needed to quieten the tempest.
Bayern pushed and Kimmich converted a late penalty. Yet the aggregate score shows how superior City were – as did Tuchel’s frustrations, which caused the former Chelsea manager to receive a second yellow for touchline histrionics and he was sent off. Real, for all their swagger, will not relish facing City.
