Champions League dream ends for Zurich

Swiss football club FC Zurich have been eliminated in the play-off round of the Champions League, losing 1-0 at home to German giants Bayern Munich.

Bayern, a four-time European champion, completed a 3-0 aggregate victory on Tuesday night and now advance to the group stage of European club football’s most prestigious and lucrative tournament.

The German side had a comfortable evening in Zurich after Mario Gomez finished a simple breakaway move in the seventh minute.

“It was important to get an early goal, it settled the nerves,” Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes said. “You never know how such games are going to go.”

Zurich threatened in the fifth minute when Amine Chermiti fired a left-foot shot just wide from 20 metres.

Two minutes later, the Swiss defence was exposed by a simple ball to Bayern forward Thomas Müller on the right touchline. Müller sent Gomez clear in the middle and the big forward slotted the ball low inside goalkeeper Johnny Leoni’s right hand post.

Zurich missed a chance to put pressure on Bayern in the 55th minute when Swiss international forward Admir Mehmedi shot wide from inside the penalty box.

Five more play-offs will be concluded on Wednesday to complete the 32-team Champions League line-up, with the only Swiss representative being FC Basel. The draw takes place in Monaco on Thursday.