Bayern make light work of Guangzhou

Bayern Munich made predictably light work of Asian champions Guangzhou Evergrande, dispatching the Chinese side 3-0 in their Club World Cup semi-final and hitting the woodwork five times on Tuesday. Guangzhou, coached by Italy World Cup winner Marcello Lippi, held out for 40 minutes, gifted the European champions two soft goals in quick succession, conceded another right after halftime and defended heroically in the second half to keep the score respectable. Bayern's shots against the woodwork included one effort from Toni Kroos which bounced down off the underside of the crossbar and on to the line and which goal-line technology showed did not enter the goal. The German side's goalkeeper Manuel Neuer did not have a shot to save but kept himself entertained with some South American-style forays outside his penalty area. Despite the gulf in class, Guangzhou was no more out of their depth than many of the other hapless teams who have faced the Bavarians recently in the Champions League and Bundesliga. “Today, we saw the real difference between us and the strongest team in the world,” Lippi told reporters. “But it's not just us; they play with this superiority against everyone else.” The stadium was less than one third full at kick-off but filled during the match. There was an unusual atmosphere with a small contingent of Bayern fans singing traditional songs at one end while the rest of the crowd chanted the name of local club Hassania Agadir. Bayern will face either Atletico Mineiro or Raja Casablanca, who met in the other semi-final yesterday, in the final. AGADIR NAMPA/REUTERS