Bayern boss Arsenal; Porto edge Malaga
Bayern Munich put themselves in a strong position to reach the quarterfinals of the Champions League with a 3-1 victory at Arsenal in their first-leg match in London Tuesday.
Porto meanwhile earned a 1-0 win over Champions League newcomers Malaga.
Four-time European champions Bayern were soon in charge at the Emirates Stadium with goals from Toni Kroos and Thomas Mueller.
Arsenal hit back after the break with a goal from former Munich player Lukas Podolski, but Croatia striker Mario Mandzukic managed to bustle the ball over the line for a third.
Kroos fired Bayern ahead after seven minutes with a first-time shot just inside the area after Mueller crossed from the right.
Mueller then doubled the tally in the 21st minute when he netted in front of goal after Wojciech Szczesny parried a Daniel van Buyten header from a corner.
Bayern continually pressed Arsenal into making mistakes and their first-half control was almost rewarded again when Mario Mandzukic was free to head a Philipp Lahm cross narrowly wide of the post.
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However Bayern were guilty of their own poor defending from a corner to allow Podolski a free header to put Arsenal back in the game in the 55th.
The goal by the former Bayern player was the first conceded by Jupp Heynckes' side this year, and the first time in 664 minutes Manuel Neuer in goal has been beaten.
The home side, outclassed for 45 minutes, fought their way back into the game and Olivier Giroud came on to fire a shot which Neuer beat out.
But any hopes of avoiding defeat were sunk when Mandzukic held the ball up, substitute Arjen Robben fed Lahm down the right and his low cross into the six yard box found Mandzukic who netted under challenge from Bacary Sagna.
Jack Wilshire tested Neuer but Bayern also threatened again, with Szczesny having to save a deflected shot from Luiz Gustavo.
The one slight setback for Bayern was a yellow card to Bastian Schweinsteiger who will now miss the return leg in Munich.
In Porto, the two-time European champions got the edge over Malaga in the Portuguese side's bid to reach the last eight for the first time in five years, with Portugal midfielder Joao Moutinho notching the winner in the 56th minute.
On Wednesday, AC Milan play Barcelona, while Galatasaray host Schalke.
In last week's last-16 games, Real Madrid and Manchester United finished 1-1, Shakhtar Donetsk and Borussia Dortmund drew 2-2, Juventus were 3-0 winners at Celtic, and Paris St Germain earned a 2-1 victory at Valencia.
The return legs are on March 5 and 6, and March 12 and 13.
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