Seeing the name Alexander Nuebel on Bayern Munich manager Hans Flick's team sheet several hours before kick-off explained everything about what the reigning German, European and World club champions thought about the second leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 game against Lazio.

Nuebel is Bayern's second string goalkeeper and had only played for the team twice before this fixture. Typically it's Manuel Neuer between the sticks. He's considered one of, if not the best keeper in the world. So, Bayern considering him unnecessary for a knockout game, shows they considered this game to be obligatory, already won.

It's cocky but not entirely incorrect. Lazio would need three unanswered goals to win, and that's a result that simply doesn't happen either to Bayern or for the Serie A underdogs.

And don't think for one second that Bayern's belief that the tie was in hand meant they weren't going to go for the kill. The remainder of their team was at full strength, and they flexed from early on. Only moments after the opening whistle, Benjamin Pavard crossed the ball deep into the Lazio box, where Robert Lewandowski headed it down to Serge Gnabry. Only Francesco Acerbi's dangerous last-second clearance prevented it from being 1-0 within five minutes.

In a true sign of control, Bayern then decided to take their time. Their commanding lead meant time was on their side. Leon Goretzka, Joshua Kimmich and the returning Thomas Mueller dominated the midfield – if it could be called that.

Flick's 4-2-3-1 placed the defenders within touching distance of the halfway line. With the exception of the occasional Lazio break, the first 45 minutes took place in the Lazio half. This overwhelming physical presence boiled over after half an hour: Vedat Muriqi held back Leon Goretzka in the box during a Bayern corner kick, conceding an obvious, unnecessary penalty.

Lewandowski took it and wrong-footed veteran Lazio goalkeeper Pepe Reina to make it 1-0 on the night, 5-1 overall. The mountain Lazio had to climb had now become as impossible to mount as the north face of the Eiger.

It remained 1-0 going into the second half, only now the odds of victory went from 99 to 100 percent. Flick started swapping out his star players. Jerome Boateng was traded for Niklas Sule. Twenty minutes later, Alphonso Davies came on for Goretzka, and 10 minutes after that Mueller, was replaced by 18-year-old Jamal Musiala and goalscorer Lewandowski for Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting – who scored with his first touch, putting Bayern up 2-0.

It displays how dangerous Bayern are that these second string players came on playing harder than the starting XI players as if to prove how good they are and how they also deserve to be in the main squad.

To Lazio's credit, they never gave up. Even toward the very end the game, their heads were high, and they went full force on every attack. They knew the contest was over yet persisted in playing properly. Simone Inzaghi can be proud of his men.

They even pulled one back in the 82nd minute: Andrea Pereira curled a free kick up and over the Bayern wall, over to the back post where Marco Parolo tapped it in. It showed a weakness in Bayern's set-piece defense and was also one of the most pointless goals ever scored. It ended 2-1, 6-2 overall, and Bayern progressed to the quarterfinals without breaking a sweat.