Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski has spearheaded his club's 7-1 win over Austrian champions RB Salzburg, scoring a 12-minute hat-trick in the first half as it eased through to the Champions League quarter final.
It was the best possible response to their rusty performance in the first leg in February, which required a Kingsley Coman equaliser in stoppage time to salvage a 1-1 draw.
The outspoken Poland international, who led calls last week for football to boycott Russia after its invasion of Ukraine, opened the scoring through a 12th-minute penalty after being clumsily brought down in the box by Salzburg defender Maximilian Wober.
The centre-back was at fault again in the 19th minute, with VAR confirming yet another penalty that Lewandowski slotted home. The Pole completed his hat-trick two minutes later, chasing a Thomas Muller through-ball that Salzburg goalkeeper Kohn bundled right into Lewandowski's path, deflecting it onto the post before a simple tap-in to make it 3-0.
It is the Munich forward's fifth hat-trick in the Champions League, and the earliest that the competition has ever seen.
The tie was all but over by the half-hour mark when Serge Gnabry fizzed a low shot past Kohn for 4-0, while Muller got on the scoresheet early in the second half, pirouetting in the box before drilling home Bayern's fifth goal in the 54th minute.
Salzburg teenager Maurits Kjaergaard pulled a goal back in the 70th minute, but it did nothing to slow down the German giants, who slotted two more past Kohn through Muller and Leroy Sane in the game's closing stages.
Bayern has now scored seven or more goals in Europe's most prestigious club competition for a record seventh time.
Despite its dominance though — including 70 per cent possession — Bayern left itself vulnerable through its aggressive attacking style that opened up space behind wingbacks Coman and Gnabry.
Salzburg forward Nicolas Capaldo had his side's first chance within two minutes as a result, and it took a handful of miraculous saves from Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer to keep the Austrians at bay.
"Today it was an opponent on a different level," Salzburg defender Rasmus Kristensen said afterwards.
"We had some chances, but if you don't make them count, it's difficult. It had nothing to do with attitude, focus or the match plan. They simply were better in all aspects — that's it."
Liverpool squeak past Inter
Elsewhere on Wednesday, Liverpool qualified for the quarter-final 2-1 on aggregate after losing 1-0 at home to a vibrant Internazionale side, capped by a stunning Lautaro Martinez strike just on the hour.
The Reds came into the tie with a 2-0 advantage from the first leg, and having never failed to progress to the next stage after winning the first leg away in the past 34 games, history was in favour of the Premier League side.
But the Italian visitors made Liverpool work for it, coming into the second leg with a clear plan to out-press and out-manoeuvre a team famous for having nearly perfected both in recent years.
Inter's passing was slick and decisive, slicing through Liverpool's naturally high line on a number of occasions, requiring the speedy Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold to sweep to the rescue.
Liverpool had a handful of chances fall to Mohamed Salah, who hit the woodwork twice, as well as Joel Matip and Virgil Van Dijk in the first half, but successful attacking passages were few and far between.
Alexander-Arnold's set pieces offered the deadliest opportunities for the Reds, but poor and unlucky finishing saw both sides enter half-time at 0-0.
The breakthrough for the stoic Inter came in the 61st minute as Martinez, who had threatened all evening, scored a Goal of the Season contender, rocketing an unstoppable shot into the top corner.
They may have added another had they not gone down to 10 men minutes after the goal with Alexis Sanchez sent off, earning a second yellow for a clumsy challenge on Fabinho.
Liverpool had snatches late in the game, including a late chance for new signing Luis Diaz that stand-out Inter midfielder Arturo Vidal sensationally blocked, but was unable to pull a goal back.
It mattered little though as the Reds squeaked through to the next stage 2-1 on aggregate.
