Arsenal dismantled FC Porto 5-0 on Tuesday to reach the Champions League quarter-finals along with Bayern Munich.
Nicklas Bendtner scored the first hat-trick of his career to help Arsenal overcome a first-leg deficit in the Champions League for only the second time.
The Gunners trailed 2-1 from the first-leg match in Portugal, but drew level on aggregate when Bendnter scored in the 10th minute. The Premier League side never looked like falling behind again.
Samir Nasri and Andrey Arshavin ran an attacking display that more than compensated for a defense shaky without the injured William Gallas.
Nasri’s pass through the middle cut open the visiting defense and, although Arshavin’s attempt to get to the ball was blocked by Jorge Fucile and goalkeeper Helton, it fell to Bendtner just inside the area for the Dane to sweep it in for the opener.
Fucile then tried to save a corner deep in Porto’s half and instead gave the ball away. Arshavin dodged Fucile’s sliding attempt to retrieve the ball and weaved between another two defenders before slipping the ball across the six-yard box for Bendnter to tap in completely unmarked for 2-0 after 25 minutes.
Nasri made it 3-0 in the 63rd with a solo effort before Emmanuel Eboue rounded off a swift counterattack three minutes later.
Bendnter completed his hat trick with an injury-time penalty.
In Tuesday’s other match Bayern Munich advanced past Fiorentina on away goals despite a 3-2 defeat in Italy that made the score 4-4 on aggregate.
Bayern were on the verge of elimination after Juan Vargas and Stevan Jovetic had put Fiorentina 3-1 ahead but Arjen Robben scored a decisive goal for the German side in the 65th at the Artemio Franchi stadium.
The Dutch winger struck a precise shot from 25m to deflate a home crowd still cheering Jovetic’s second goal a minute earlier.
Vargas had put Fiorentina in front in the 28th and Jovetic made it 2-0 before Mark van Bommel scored Bayern’s first goal in the 60th with a shot from Franck Ribery’s cross.
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