Bayern impress Indian fans in Bhutia farewell

Published: 10 Jan 2012 - 15:46:41

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Bayern impress Indian fans in Bhutia farewell

European giants Bayern Munich dazzled nearly 35,000 cheering fans during an impressive 4-0 win over India in an exhibition game on Tuesday.

The match, played under lights at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in New Delhi, marked the farewell of India's soccer hero Baichung Bhutia, who announced his international retirement in August last year after a string of injuries.

The star-studded German outfit were hardly tested during the friendly encounter which was their final outing before the resumption of the Bundesliga following a four-week winter break.

Jupp Heynckes' troupe currently lead the domestic league after having played 17 games so far.

Bayern have also been in impressive form in the Champions League, a tournament they are especially keen on, with the final set to take place at their home ground -- the Allianz Arena -- in May.

The Bavarians took the lead in the 14th minute through in-form striker Mario Gomez before World Cup Golden Boot winner Thomas Muller slammed in a brace to make it 3-0 for the visitors.

Star midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger, making a comeback after recovering from a collarbone injury picked in November, netted in neatly two minutes from the half-way mark to take the tally to 4-0.

The Indians, placed a lowly 162 in FIFA rankings, tried to put up a spirited fight but were outclassed by their rivals who treated the Indian fans to some high-quality European football.

Part of the proceeds from Tuesday's game will go towards helping earthquake victims in Sikkim, Bhutia's home state in India's remote northeast region, which was rocked by a 6.9 magnitude quake in September.

Bhutia co-owns and plays for United Sikkim FC in the domestic league.