Champions League Group E wrap: Bayern cruise, Roma progress

Three goals in 15 minutes have ensured Bayern Munich stayed top of Group E at the end of the Champions League group stage.

The Bavarian club’s 3-0 triumph over Basel at the Allianz Arena saw them top the group by five points, ahead of Italian club Roma who needed a point in the unlikely case of Basel triumphing in Munich to clinch top spot themselves.

With the likes of Franck Ribery and Marc van Bommel back from injury, Louis van Gaal’s side has showed signs it is returning to its best after an unconvincing season, and they field a full-strength team for their visit of the Swiss side on Wednesday.

But Basel started well and Xherdan Shaqiri should have put the visitors ahead in the early stages, only to be denied by a fine save by Bayern goalkeeper Thomas Kraft.

Basel manager Thorsten Kink – a former player at Bayern – would have been scratching his head at his side’s inability to convert gilt-edged chances, when Marco Streller again missed a one-on-one, with Kraft again superb when coming out of his area.

Eventually the hosts made Basel pay, with a superb solo run from Diego Contento setting up the first goal.

The full-back drew men towards him before a simple pass across the face of goal was tapped in by Ribery.

Stunned by the goal, Basel quickly conceded again when Anatoliy Tymoschuk thumped in Mario Gomez’s goal-bound header from close range.

Bayern nearly scored twice more before half-time, with Ribery and Bastian Schweinsteiger both wasting opportunities to add to the lead.

But the hosts killed off the contest just five minutes into the second half when Ribery doubled his account, side-footing a Thomas Mueller cross into the Basel net with ease.

The match petered out towards the end, with Bayern content to settle on a three-goal triumph while for Basel, the latter stages of the match became a damage limitation exercise.

Despite the loss, Basel will enter into the Europa League Round of 32 after finishing third in the group.

In the other match, Roma made sure of their qualification into the last 16 of the competition with a 1-1 draw in Romania against CFR Cluj.

Roma took the lead via a superb Marco Borriello strike after just 21 minutes.

Fabio Simplicio found the forward with a long ball from inside his own half and a terrific first touch gave Borriello a one-on-one with Cluj goalkeeper Eduard Stancioiu, which he duly converted.

But just as Claudio Ranieri’s side were set to celebrate a hard-fought away victory, they were brought back down to earth when Juan Culio found Lacina Traore at the back post, who headed home from the six-yard box with Roma shot-stopper and Romania international Bogdan Lobont left rooted to the spot.

The result ends Cluj’s European campaign.