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Bayern Munich reached the Club World Cup final after goals in each half by Robert Lewandowski sealed a 2-0 victory over African champions Al Ahly at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, a host venue for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The German side will face MexicoтАЩs Tigres in the final on Thursday after the Mexican club saw off Brazilian giants Palmeiras in SundayтАЩs other semifinal.
Lewandowski gave Bayern the lead after just 17 minutes and then┬аheaded home a pinpoint Leroy Sane cross four minutes before the whistle to book BayernтАЩs place in the final.
Lewandowski, the BundesligaтАЩs top scorer, has scored 29 goals in 27 matches for his club this season.
The European champions ended AhlyтАЩs 32-match unbeaten run in all competitions under their South African-born coach Pitso Mosimane [Showkat Shafi/Al Jazeera]
Bayern are bidding to become only the second team after Barcelona in 2009 to win all six domestic and international titles up for grabs in one season.
The German giants lifted the Bundesliga, German Cup, Champions League, German Cup and UEFA Super Cup trophies in 2020.
тАЬWe want to claim another title тАУ title number six during this season,тАЭ Lewandowski said.┬атАЬThis is a World Cup, which is always something special. I hope we can play even better in the final and that we will have more goalscoring chances.тАЭ
The European champions ended AhlyтАЩs 32-match unbeaten run in all competitions under their South African-born coach Pitso Mosimane.
BayernтАЩs only Club World Cup title to date in 2013, beating Raja Casablanca of Morocco in the final, started a run of seven consecutive wins by European teams [Showkat Shafi/Al Jazeera]
тАЬIтАЩm a Tunisian but Bayern Munich is my second favourite football team,тАЭ Ayman Khalifa, 34, told Al Jazeera after the final whistle.
тАЬIтАЩm not that satisfied with their performance because I expected them to score five to six goals but itтАЩs OK, they won and are in the final now. IтАЩm sure the final will be really, really good. I will come to the stadium again [despite the pandemic] because my love and passion for football is very high.тАЭ
Michael Zeman, another Bayern Munich fan, said while the German side did not play its best, it was a terrific performance under pressure as majority of the crowd was rooting for the Egyptian team.
тАЬMost of the supporters were behind Al Ahli. If it wasnтАЩt for COVID, the stadium wouldтАЩve been full of Al Ahli supporters,тАЭ Zeman told Al Jazeera. тАЬI hope and expect Bayern to play better in the final.тАЭ
Al Ahli will take on Palmeiras in the third-place play-off [Showkat Shafi/Al Jazeera]
For the Al-Ahli fans, whose dominated in the stands, the loss was heartbreaking as the team put up a good fight in front of the European champions.
тАЬI feel really sad that Al-Ahli lost,тАЭ Tasneem Abdul Hameed, who came to the match with her husband and two children, told Al Jazeera.
тАЬItтАЩs a very, very rare occasion to see my team play in this country and thatтАЩs why I came to watch them despite COVID and the restrictions. I was really excited, but now, IтАЩm very sad. It was really a good game and it wouldтАЩve been great had Al-Ahli won.тАЭ
BayernтАЩs only Club World Cup title to date in 2013, beating Raja Casablanca of Morocco in the final, started a run of seven consecutive wins by European teams.
Additional reporting by Showkat Shafi in Doha
For the Al-Ahli fans, who filled the stands, the loss was heartbreaking as the team put up a good fight in front of the European champions [Showkat Shafi/Al Jazeera]
Al Ahly fans dominated in the stands where the organisers capped capacity at 30 percent due to COVID-related restrictions [Showkat Shafi/Al Jazeera]
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