Bayern gain upper hand on Benfica in Champions League

FC Bayern Munich scored right out of the gate and spent the remainder of the game protecting a slim lead, but the effort was enough to gain the advantage against Benfica ahead of next week’s away match in Lisbon.

At first, the header after just two minutes by Arturo Vidal to put Bayern Munich ahead of Portuguese side Benfica in the Champions League seemed like an early stroke of luck that may have indicated many more goals to come. Instead, the lone goal was Bayern’s only bit of offense for the evening, but it was enough to give them a 1-0 win in the quarterfinal first leg at Munich’s Allianz Arena.

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While the result certainly favors Bayern, it does mean next week’s second-leg match in Lisbon will be a high-stakes match for both teams. Benfica will have the home advantage and just need a single goal to even the stakes. However, with Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer keeping a clean sheet, a single away goal for Bayern means Benfica will have to score three to advance to the semifinals.

“Sometimes you have to be satisfied with a 1-0 win. It’s the Champions League quarterfinals, you never win by just turning up.”

FC Bayern Captain Philipp Lahm

After traveling to Italy in the previous round, Bayern’s next Champions League tie will see them head south as well to Portugal. With a good result there, Bayern will be heading to the Champions League semifinal – one step closer to raising the Champions League trophy at the final in Milan and delighting Bayern fans around the world.

We’ll certainly be on the edge of our seats for the second-leg match in Lisbon, but we’re also getting excited about some really amazing activities we have planned with FC Bayern in the coming weeks! We can’t give too much away, but we can say it involves football jerseys and the global FC Bayern family. Curious? Stay tuned to DHL InMotion for more details soon!