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Bayern, Chelsea ease into Champions League last eight
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Players of Bayern Munich celebrate during the UEFA Champions League last 16 second leg match against Lazio in Munich, Germany, March 17, 2021. /CFP

Players of Bayern Munich celebrate during the UEFA Champions League last 16 second leg match against Lazio in Munich, Germany, March 17, 2021. /CFP

Holders Bayern Munich cruised through to the Champions League quarter-finals for the ninth time in the last 10 seasons after beating Lazio 2-1 at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday to secure a 6-2 aggregate victory.

Bayern have now set the record of most qualifications (19) for the quarter-finals in Champions League history.

Head coach Hansi Flick is the first manager to win each of his first seven knockout stage games in the competition.

Leading 4-1 from the first leg in Rome, Robert Lewandowski opened the scoring for Bayern from the penalty spot in the 33rd minute, his 39th goal of the season in all competitions, to virtually end Lazio's hopes.

The German champions took their foot off the gas before substitute Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, having replaced Lewandowski, added the second goal in the 73rd minute. Marco Parolo headed a late consolation for Lazio.

Bayern joined fellow German side Borussia Dortmund in the last eight, and Lazio's exit means no Italian team will compete in the Champions League quarter-finals, with Juventus and Atalanta having also exited at the last-16 stage.

Chelsea players celebrate during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg match against Atletico Madrid in London, UK, March 17, 2021. /CFP

Chelsea players celebrate during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg match against Atletico Madrid in London, UK, March 17, 2021. /CFP

In the other second leg match, Chelsea beat Atletico Madrid 2-0 to reach the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since 2014 as Hakim Ziyech and Emerson Palmieri were on target to give coach Thomas Tuchel's rejuvenated team a 3-0 aggregate win.

Ziyech squeezed the ball under Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak in the 34th minute of the last-16 second leg as he connected with a cross from Timo Werner who had raced down the left after being fed by fellow German Kai Havertz.

The three players involved in the goal had come under pressure after falling short of expectations since they arrived at Stamford Bridge in big-money signings last summer.

Substitute Emerson made sure of the victory with a 94th-minute strike on the break for Chelsea's second goal.

Atletico were left to rue referee Daniele Orsato's decision not to give a penalty when, with the score at 0-0, Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta underhit a back pass and put his arm around Yannick Carrasco who went down in the box.

The leaders of Spain's La Liga struggled to pierce Chelsea's defense with the tireless N'Golo Kante providing extra protection from midfield.

Coach Diego Simeone hauled off Uruguay striker Luis Suarez in the 59th minute and replaced him with Angel Correa to little effect as he failed to repeat his feat of 2014 when he masterminded a Champions League semi-final win over the Blues.

The visitors finished the game with 10 men after Stefan Savic was shown a red card in the 82nd minute for elbowing Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger in the chest at a corner.

The win left Chelsea unbeaten in 13 games since Tuchel replaced Frank Lampard as coach in January. He has engineered a turnaround founded on a defense that has let in only two goals under the German, who led Paris St Germain to last year's final. 

With Bayern and Chelsea advancing into the last eight, joining Dortmund, Porto, PSG, Liverpool, Real Madrid and Manchester City, the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal field is set, the matchups to be announced on March 19. 

Source(s): Reuters

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