AGADIR: Bayern Munich are within 90 minutes of landing their fifth trophy of the year after seeing off China’s Asian champions Guangzhou Evergrande by 3-0 in their Club World Cup semi-final in Morocco.

Guangzhou, coached by Italy’s 2006 World Cup-winning manager Marcello Lippi, held out for 40 minutes before conceding three goals in quick succession either side of half-time.

Bayern also hit the posts five times. One one effort from Toni Kroos bounced down off bar and on to the line but goalline technology showed the all did not enter the goal.

Guanghzou enjoyed less than 10 minutes of possession in the first half and failed to cope with Bayern’s pressing, struggling to get out of their own third of the field.

Thiago Alcantara hit the post with a shot on the turn and Jerome Boateng sent a long-range effort swerving wide, then Kroos saw his effort thump against the bar.

Lippi had warned his team before the game that all mistakes would be ruthlessly punished and that was exactly what happened before halftime.

Opening strike

Five minutes from the break they failed to clear the ball and Franck Ribery shot under the body of diving goalkeeper Zeng Chen.

Four minutes later, Huang Bowen lost possession on the edge of the area and Thiago Alcantara chipped across goal for the unmarked Mario Mandzukic to head in.

The start of the second half saw Mario Gotze add a third with a curling shot from outside the area which took a slight deflection off a defender.

The match saw confusion over the referee’s use of vanishing spray at free kicks. Guangzhou complained that the line on the pitch was more than nine metres from the ball.

Lippi said: “It’s an intelligent idea but, for it to work, the referee has to measure the right distance between the ball and the wall. There were two Bayern free kicks where he made our wall retreat 15 metres.”

#############