Doha, Qatar | Xinhua | Robert Lewandowski scored twice to help Bayern Munich see off Al Ahly in the last four at the ongoing FIFA Club World Cup.
Last season’s UEFA Champions League winner booked a clash with Tigres UANL of Mexico in the final on Thursday.
The Egyptian club set up a solid defense at the beginning of the game. But Lewandowski put the title favorites ahead with a close-range low shot 17 minutes after the break.
Marc Roca almost created the European powerhouse’s second goal in the 26th minute, but his shot was denied by Al Ahly’s goalkeeper Elshenawy Mohamed.
In the 37th minute, Lewandowski lobbed his rival goalkeeper but the ball drifted high. Bayern could have enlarged its lead but missed chances.
Bayern dominated possession with 63% of the ball in the first half, seeing Thomas Mueller force Mohamed into a good save before Lewandowski scored the second, heading in from Leroy Sane’s long cross in the 86th minute.
After having won the Bundesliga, German Cup, Champions League, and the German and European Super Cups in 2020, the German Bundesliga giant is seeking a sixth trophy of a major event in one year at the tournament which was delayed from December 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bayern won the Club World Cup, and its predecessor the Intercontinental Cup, in 1976, 2001, and 2013.
*****
Xinhua