Things quickly took a turn for the worse for Bayern, leading 2-1 from the first leg, when Jose Manuel Vargas put the hosts in front both on the night and on away goals. Stevan Jovetic doubled the lead early in the second half, only for Mark van Bommel to pull one back for Bayern. Jovetic looked to have secured his side's place in the last eight when he netted a third for Fiorentina, but up stepped Arjen Robben just a minute later with a wonder-strike to send the Germans through 4-4 on away goals.

Vargas strikes

Following a disciplined tactical start from both sides, it was the hosts who fired the first warning shot when Juan Manuel Vargas' long distance effort sailed just over the crossbar. Indeed, the home side began to control the affair as the first half progressed, with Bayern limited to counters that produced little in the way of solid chances.

The pressure told just before the half hour mark when Ricardo Montolivo hit a speculative effort from range, Hans-Jörg could only parry into the danger area, where Vargas arrived ahead of Daniel van Buyten to finish and put the Italians ahead in the tie.

Jovetic doubles advantage

Bayern had an excellent chance to equalise ten minutes before the break as Robben latched onto a long diagonal ball from the left, but Viola keeper Sebastian Frey reacted brilliantly to deny the Dutchman as he bore down on goal.

Again it was Fiorentina who started the more brightly in the second half. Alberto Gilardino should have doubled the hosts' lead just a couple of minutes in when he drew a superb stop from Butt from point blank range, but it was not long before the Italians had their second, Jovetic finishing a Gilardino layoff following a low cross from the right.

Far from over

That had the home side through on aggregate, but it was clear the tie was far from over. Shortly after Miroslav Klose had narrowly missed an Arjen Robben delivery into the box, Bayern had things heading for extra time as van Bommel finished with a measured strike from outside the box after some good work by Franck Ribery on the left.

Jovetic then put Fiorentina back in front with a well-worked third, ghosting into the box from the left flank before crossing for Gilardino. The Italian striker headed the ball back for his Montenegrin team-mate who again slipped all too easily past van Buyten before finishing through the legs of Butt.

Robben sends Bayern through

Behind again on aggregate, Bayern responded in double time, Robben cracking a quite brilliant left-foot strike into the top corner from all of 30 yards to give the Munich Reds an away goals lead.

Both sides threatened again towards the end, but it was Louis van Gaal's charges who held on for a 4-4 aggregate draw which sends them into the quarter finals. Great news for the 2008 Bundesliga champions, who will have to wait until next week to find out whether VfB Stuttgart will be joining them in the draw for the next round.


Fiorentina: S. Frey - de Silvestri, Natali, Kröldrup, Felipe (Pasqual 79') - C. Zanetti, Montolivo - Marchionni, Jovetic, Vargas (Keirrison 82') - Gilardino

Bayern: Butt - Lahm van Buyten, Badstuber, Alaba - Schweinsteiger, van Bommel - Robben, Ribery (Pranjic 90+2') - T. Müller, Gomez (Klose 30')

Goals: 1-0 Vargas (28'), 2-0 Jovetic (54'), 2-1 van Bommel (60'), 3-1 Jovetic (64'), 3-2 Robben (65')

Attendance: 45,000 (Artemio Franchi)


Andy James