KEY POINTS:
Italy striker Luca Toni's four goals fired former European champions Bayern Munich into the knockout stages of the UEFA Cup after a 6-0 rout of Aris Salonika in their final group game yesterday.
Victory in front of 64,000 fans in freezing temperatures in Munich sent the Bundesliga leaders
through as Group F winners and means Bayern will avoid one of the eight third-placed Champions League sides who enter the last-32 draw.
Toni, fully fit after a recent hamstring strain, pounced twice from close range in the first half after blunders from keeper Konstantinos Chalkias and added two in quick succession midway through the second period.
Christian Lell and Philipp Lahm completed the demolition while Frenchman Franck Ribery was in sparkling form for Bayern.
"I'm glad we were able to make something up to our fans with the goal-scoring festival," coach Ottmar Hitzfeld said after Bayern's comprehensive win erased memories of goalless draws in their past two league matches against Duisburg and Hertha Berlin.
"We totally dominated. It was just a question of time for the goals to start dropping in. I would have preferred if we could have got one or two of the goals in Bundesliga matches. But it's good that we broke the ice."
About Toni, Hitzfeld added: "Luca can smell where the ball might come through. He anticipates so well."
Bayern, who top the Bundesliga, handed a recall to keeper Oliver Kahn. Kahn was hit with a €25,000 ($48,543) fine and a one-match suspension last week after he criticised two of his teammates and left the club's Christmas party early.
Aris were eliminated with Braga, 2-0 winners over Red Star Belgrade, and Bolton Wanderers, also progressing from the group.
Galatasaray, the 2000 winners, sneaked through as the third-place finishers in Group H after they drew 0-0 at home to Austria Vienna and Panionios contrived to lose 3-2 at home to a virtual Girondins Bordeaux reserve side after being 2-0 up.
Galatasaray went through on a better goal difference than the Greek outfit. Gala were three minutes away from elimination until Bordeaux substitute Wielfried Moimbe scored a late winner for the already-qualified French team. Spain's Getafe finished top of Group G after a 2-1 home win over Belgian champions Anderlecht sent both sides through as Hapoel Tel Aviv lost 3-1 at home to AaB Aalborg.
Progress is some relief for Anderlecht who have endured a dreadful season, failing to qualify for the group stages of the Champions League and sitting in a modest seventh in the Belgian championship.
Bayer Leverkusen's impressive 5-0 win at Zurich, with Dmitri Bulykin scoring twice, sent the German side through as Group E winners. Spartak Moscow missed out on top spot after going down 2-1 at Toulouse.
Group winners will play the third-place finishers in the last 32 in February, playing the second legs at home, while the runners-up face one of the demoted Champions League sides. The final is in Manchester on May 14.
- REUTERS
