Ribery, Toni star for five-star Bayern

Luca Toni and Franck Ribery scored two goals each to virtually ensure Bayern Munich a Champions League quarter-finals place in a 5-0 rout of Sporting Lisbon in their last 16, first-leg tie here on Wednesday.

A superb first-half solo effort and a second-half penalty by French midfield maestro Ribery, plus a second-half pair from Italian World Cup-winner Toni, puts Bayern firmly in the driving-seat for the return leg.

With five away goals under their belts, it was a good night at the office for the German giants at the Estadio Jose Alvalade as they brushed off their poor form in the Bundesliga to sweep Lisbon aside.

Having lost to mid-table Cologne on Saturday in the German league, Bayern bounced back in style and coach Jurgen Klinsmann was all smiles.

“It was fun to watch after the second goal went in,” he said.

“It was impressive the way the boys responded after the defeat by Cologne.

“Sporting really took the game to us and it allowed us to find space to counter attack.”

And only a disaster in Munich in a fortnight will now stop the German giants entering the last eight.

“Everything just slotted together for us tonight,” said Bayern team manager Uli Hoeness.

“It was a nice game to watch, we stand with one leg in the quarterfinals.

“We must not allow this lead to slip.”

Ribery opened the scoring in style when he seized on a loose pass, rode two tackles to breach the Lisbon defence and slotted his shot under the Sporting goalkeeper Tiago after 42 minutes.

Bayern extended the lead when Italian defender Massimo Oddo put in a towering cross which Toni – who showed no ill-effects of his recent ankle injury – flicked the ball on and it went into the goal off Miroslav Klose on 57 minutes.

Then a darting run into the heart of the Lisbon defence by Germany defender Philipp Lahm – who had headed off the line in the first-half – resulted in a penalty when he was brought crashing down by midfielder Fabio Rochemback.

Ribery stepped up and slotted home his effort on 63 minutes after sending Tiago the wrong way.

With such a big lead, Bayern settled into some impressive one-touch football despite less than the lion’s share of possession.

The fourth goal came when Toni rose highest above the Sporting defence and blasted his header past the diving Sporting goalkeeper on 84 minutes.

It was his first ever Champions League goal and he added his second on the verge of 90 minutes as he stabbed his shot in with team-mates waiting to score as the Lisbon defence capitulated.

To demonstrate Bayern’s confidence, Lahm curled a shot in from the edge of the penalty area which only just missed the far post.

“Without arrogance we can look forward to the quarter-finals,” added Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.

“The atmosphere in the dressing room was subdued, we know the job is only half done.”

The second leg will be played at Munich’s Allianz Arena on Tuesday March 10.