Guardiola’s Thrilling Triumph: Bayern Munich Shock Porto with 6-1 Victory
After a tough 3-1 loss in the first leg to FC Porto in Portugal, Pep Guardiola and his team needed a miracle to keep their Champions League dreams alive. And that’s exactly what they delivered on Tuesday night in the return leg.
With a stunning 6-1 victory, Bayern Munich turned the tie around, securing a 7-4 aggregate win and booking their spot in the Champions League semi-finals. Yacine Brahimi and his Porto teammates were left reeling after the German giants’ ruthless performance.
Guardiola, ever the perfectionist, was visibly thrilled with the result, yet remained measured in his comments:
“I’m a happy man. I’m delighted to still be in the semi-finals. We played differently than in the first leg. We would never have achieved this without fighting. A big thank you to my players, they made me very happy,” Guardiola said after the match.
Despite the impressive comeback, the former Barcelona coach acknowledged that Bayern could still improve:
“No. We can play better, we can still improve. In the second half, Julen (Lopetegui) changed tactics and we had problems controlling the ball. Of course, they (Porto) had to score three goals, but you always have to be vigilant because anything can happen in football,” Guardiola added, reflecting on Porto’s attempt to mount a comeback.
The German manager now looks ahead to the Champions League semi-finals, though he emphasized that Bayern’s immediate focus is the Bundesliga:
“We’re in the semi-final and we’ll see the outcome of the draw, it’s not something we can control. Now, one or two days off and then the Championship in Berlin (Saturday), the most important title for me.”
With Bayern back on track for another deep run in the Champions League, the team will be hoping to build on their momentum for the challenges that lie ahead.