Gomez leads Bayern rout

Mario Gomez hit four goals as Bayern Munich swiftly eliminated the threat of a Champions League exit before humiliating Basle.

The German club, whose Allianz Arena will stage the European final in May, had been embarrassed by a 1-0 loss to Basle three weeks ago at St Jakob Park.

But they warmed up for tonight with a 7-1 victory over Hoffenheim on Saturday, a match in which Gomez hit three, and the Germany striker went one better against the Swiss league leaders, profiting from the superb promptings of team-mates Thomas Muller, Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery, an attacking midfield trident the envy of most coaches in this competition.

Robben netted the first goal, Muller the second, and thereafter it was the Gomez show, until Robben rounded off the scoring with nine minutes remaining. Bayern now have a quarter-final ahead of them, while Basle tonight had a long journey home.

Basle's intentions were clear from the early stages. Once Yann Sommer played a goal-kick square to a defender, it was clear they were in Munich to cling to the ball and to their slender lead.

They failed on both counts emphatically, with Bayern going ahead on precisely the 10-minute mark and building up a 3-0 lead by the interval.

Robben twice had range-setters which brought no reward before opening the scoring with a low blast from 12 yards into the bottom right corner. He reacted sharply to Muller's speculative 25-yard strike taking a wild deflection, and the Basle hands in the air for offside were waved in vain.

Two minutes later and Robben threatened again, coming in off the right flank, with Sommer forced to fingertip his left-footed strike, which was heading for the far corner, away to his right.

Gomez was quick to the ball and crashed a shot which the goalkeeper at his near post palmed down, and the striker soon followed that with a cheeky backheel which again Sommer had to be sharp to keep out.

Muller was next to threaten, his header from Robben's right-wing corner brilliantly saved by Sommer.

Toni Kroos fizzed a 25-yard strike just over the Basle crossbar, before the visitors' Alex Frei sent a half-volley a yard too high.

It was 2-0 after 42 minutes, Robben keeping the ball alive on the right before picking out Muller's near-post run, allowing the midfielder to volley in from eight yards.

Basle were floored when Bayern scored their third two minutes later, Gomez with the three-yard finish after Kroos swept a free-kick across from the left and Holger Badstuber, at the far post, hooked the ball across goal.

Any fading hopes in the Basle camp were put to rest inside five minutes of the second half as Gomez scored his second, this time a classy left-footed volley from Ribery's left-wing cross.

His hat-trick arrived on the hour, with Ribery wending his way past a crowd of would-be tacklers before teeing up a cross for Gomez to nod in almost apologetically from close range.

Basle were frustrated to have a goal ruled out, seemingly for a handball by first-leg matchwinner Valentin Stocker.

Gomez had his fourth goal after 65 minutes, Ribery doing the initial damage with a mesmerising run down the left before cutting a pass back for his team-mate to strike a fierce shot into the top right.

Muller made way for substitute Bastian Schweinsteiger, Danijel Pranjic took over from Ribery, and in the 81st minute Robben made it 7-0. Schweinsteiger played the pass, Robben sidestepped Sommer and passed the ball home, before being replaced.

Scoring Summary Bayern Munich FC Basel
Arjen Robben (10')
Thomas Müller (41')
Mario Gomez (44')
Mario Gomez (50')
Mario Gomez (61')
Mario Gomez (67')
Arjen Robben (81')

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