Bayern Munich crushes Roma 7-1, a club record away victory

ROME (AP) — Arjen Robben scored twice as Bayern Munich routed Roma 7-1 Tuesday for a club-record away win in the Champions League, showing the German club is again a threat to take the title.

Having taken target practice in a 6-0 rout of Werder Bremen at the weekend, it was more of the same from Bayern early on at the Stadio Olimpico with five goals in the first half.

Robben put the 2013 champion ahead nine minutes in with an expertly curled shot from a tough angle, before Germany's World Cup hero Mario Goetze doubled the lead in the 23rd and Robert Lewandowski made it 3-0 in the 25th.

Again taking advantage of poor defense from Ashley Cole, Robben scored his second goal on the half-hour and then Thomas Mueller added a penalty in the 35th after Kostas Manolas was whistled for a handball at the edge of the area.

Gervinho pulled one back for Roma in the 66th, 10 minutes after hitting the post, but then substitutes Franck Ribery and Zherdan Shaqiri added more goals for Bayern.

Bayern's previous biggest away win in the Champions League was a 5-0 victory at Sporting Lisbon in the first knockout round in 2009.

Champions League: Bayern Munich thrashes Roma amid goal bonanza

It matched Roma's heaviest defeat in the competition, a 7-1 loss at Manchester United in the 2007 quarterfinals.

Bayern has nine points atop Group E, five clear of Roma. Manchester City has two points and CSKA Moscow one.

Earlier, City wasted a two-goal lead in a 2-2 draw in Moscow.

Bayern's win extended the unbeaten streak for Josep Guardiola's club to 12 matches in all competitions, with the last loss to Borussia Dortmund in the German Super Cup in mid-August.

Roma entered full of confidence after a strong start in Serie A but its lack of experience in Europe was glaring — the Giallorossi are back in the Champions League after a three-year break.

Robben set the tone with a world-class goal, fooling Cole and curling a shot inside the far post.

Then poor defense left Goetze alone to score from the edge of the area following a backheel pass from Mueller, two minutes before Lewandowski was left unmarked to head in a cross from Juan Bernat.

Roma coach Rudi Garcia replaced Cole with Greece defender Jose Holebas at halftime and also pulled captain Francesco Totti for Alessandro Florenzi but the damage was done.

Gervinho's scored by finishing off a counterattack with a header following a cross from Radja Nainggolan.

Ribery then collected a pass from Robben and scored with a lob shot in the 78th and Shaqiri added a rebound in the 80th after Morgan De Sanctis failed to collect a shot.

The teams meet again in two weeks in Munich.