Mane double helps Liverpool ease past Bayern into quarters

 Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk scores their second goal – Action Images via Reuters

MUNICH, Germany (Reuters): Sadio Mane scored twice to hand Liverpool a 3-1 Champions League victory at Bayern Munich on Wednesday as they nullified their German opponents with a dominant performance that sent them through to the quarter-finals.

After the last-16 first leg ended goalless at Anfield, five-times European champions Liverpool took control in Munich, bossing the game to become the fourth English team into the last eight with their first away win in Europe this season.

What had the potential to be a thrilling encounter turned into a scrappy affair with both teams making mistakes in possession, but Bayern were prevented from applying sustained pressure and were picked off at key moments.

Mane opened the scoring, pouncing on a needless charge out of his goal by Manuel Neuer in his 100th Champions League appearance, to round the Bayern keeper with a superb turn before chipping his finish into the empty net in the 26th minute.

The German champions levelled 13 minutes later against the run of play when winger Serge Gnabry beat his marker and his cutback was turned into the goal by Liverpool defender Joel Matip. Centre back Virgil van Dijk, who had missed the first leg last month, killed off any German hopes of a comeback when he rose high to head home in the 69th minute before Mane headed in his second in the 84th.

Last season’s runners-up Liverpool completed a full house of English teams in the last eight, the first time this has happened since the 2008/9 season, with Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and Manchester City already through.

Germany, however, will be without a quarter-finalist for the first time in 11 years.

Mane completed a memorable win with a well-timed header after a delightful lofted pass from Mohamed Salah as Liverpool stretched their unbeaten run in Champions League last-16 matches to eight following a 1-0 loss at home to Barcelona in 2007.