Manchester City may have only made progression to the Champions League semi-finals look more serene against the six-times European champions had they done so with a stein and sausage in hand. Instead, Pep Guardiola’s players had both hands on the tiller throughout this two-legged tie and now Real Madrid await them in a mouth-watering last-four clash.

Reaching the semi-finals for a third consecutive season shows the standard that City currently operate, however claiming the ultimate prize remains the driving force for this team of high performers. City are currently the team to beat and will fancy some revenge over Real given last season’s dramatic meeting at the same stage.

Arriving in Bavaria with a three-goal lead, City were comfortable in the knowledge that barring a dramatic slip-up they would progress past Bayern Munich. Guardiola has seen his team slip up in the latter stages of this competition before, but he could rest assured on this occasion.

City could even afford for Erling Haaland to fire over a first-half penalty. Still, no one can keep City’s all-firing striker down for long and he dully lashed into the net in the second-half for his 48th goal of the campaign.

That’s what Guardiola’s team can do, simply taking the wind from beneath opponents' wings. Bayern had not failed to score at home in three years and a late consolation, fortuitously presented to Thomas Tuchel’s team after a meek Manuel Akanji handball, came with Joshua Kimmich converting from the penalty spot.

Story of the game

A chorus of “Bayern! Bayern! Bayern!” from the home crowd greeted kick-off in what was perhaps a call for an emboldened version of their team to emerge. The hosts certainly made a positive start with Kingsley Coman leading the way down the right flank.

Tuchel made two changes from the first leg with Joao Cancelo coming in to face his parent club and Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting, their leading scorer this season, returning from a knee injury — Sadio Mane, involved in a post-match spat with team-mate Leroy Sane last week, was on the bench.

Getty: DeFodi

City were unchanged, the sense of continuity continuing, but did have Phil Foden back amongst the substitutes following appendix surgery. Guardiola’s team knew what they had to do, so did Bayern — and it was pretty seismic. Liverpool, in 2019, were the last team to progress from a Champions League knockout tie after losing the first leg by three goals or more.

Tuchel said Bayern needed a “miracle” to avoid exiting the competition at the quarter-final stages for the third successive season. The underwhelming 1-1 draw with Hoffenheim at the weekend was hardly of the confidence-inducing variety, but still they gave it a go.

Bayern began to get close to Ederson’s goal in earnest when Sane ran free after being fed by Jamal Musiala in the 17th minute. John Stones tried to track back but the former City player was too far ahead but when one-on-one with Ederson, the attacker skewered his shot wide of the far post.

Bayern pushed a little more. Ederson guided Sane’s free-kick around his post, palmed away Coman’s shot from a narrowing angle while Leon Goretzka blazed over from the edge of the penalty area. Musiala weaved his way into a good position before being outmuscled by the commanding Rodri, any appeals for a free-kick were swiftly waved away.

City were content with Bayern’s prolificacy and still posed their own threat. The home team’s defence was not enduring as testing an evening as at the Etihad but Dayot Upamecano will certainly not enjoy looking back at either leg of this tie.

On 18 minutes he was swiftly shown a red card for a last-man shove on Haaland only for the linesman’s flag to belatedly rise and reprieve the centre-back. The referee certainly received an earful for his premature dismissal but really it was the lacklustre defender who should have been on the receiving end of the fans’ ire.

Luck deserted Upamecano later in the half when Ilkay Gündogan’s shot grazed against the centre-back’s arm after he had initially tucked it behind his back. The award of a penalty allowed Haaland the chance to put clear daylight between the two teams but after a slight delay the Norwegian international fired over the crossbar.

Getty: Matthias Hangst

That was possibly the biggest shock of a rather routine evening but 12 minutes after the interval, Haaland made amends. Bayern were on the front foot with Coman’s low cross squirming through Ederson but failing to be met by a player in red. Then City quickly countered.

Stones’ ball up-field was chested down by Haaland for Kevin De Bruyne and the midfielder then returned the ball to the striker who strode forward. As he approached the Bayern area, Upamecano tried to hold his ground but slipped at the crucial moment, allowing the City player to fire a shot unchallenged into the top corner.

This wasn’t City at the jugular but it was Guardiola’s team showing their clinical nature. That goal ended Bayern’s fight but a deflated Allianz Arena did see their team score for the first time in the tie and keep their home record going.

It was a fortuitous consolation. Akanji was ushering Mane towards the byline when the substitute hit the ball up onto the defender’s hand. It looked innocuous but the VAR jumped into action and surprisingly awarded the spot-kick. Kimmich converted but City had long sailed into the sunset.

Player of the game: Kingsley Coman

The lively Bayern winger took the game to City in the first-half and, although ultimately in vain, he provided a few nervy moments for the visiting defence.