Bayern Munich booked its fifth successive Champions League semifinal spot with a 2-2 draw at Benfica Wednesday to seal a 3-2 aggregate victory that kept the Germans on course for a treble of titles. Arturo Vidal's 38th-minute goal canceled out the host's early lead through Raul Jimenez's header and Thomas Mueller's volley early in the second half eased its nerves. The Portuguese side, vying for its first semifinal in more than a quarter of a century, managed a late equalizer through Talisca but still suffered its fourth elimination in its fourth European tie against Bayern. The Bavarians will face Real Madrid, city rival Atletico or England's Manchester City in the last four. "It was a sensational atmosphere but it was hard work," said Bayern captain Philipp Lahm, who played his 103rd Champions League game to become joint leader in Germany along with former Bayern keeper Oliver Kahn. "We had to be more precise than in the first game, close the spaces between midfield and defense and we did it better tonight. We remained calm after the goal and worked hard," said Lahm. Benfica was without top strikers Jonas, Gaitan and Kostas Mitroglou through suspension or injury and was quickly on the back foot as expected with the Germans controlling 70 percent of possession. Mueller had the Germans' first good chance but fired wide after 15 minutes with Benfica's double backline working extremely hard. "That double line was sometimes even three lines. They were a very difficult opponent," said Bayern coach Guardiola. The host struck following a quick break when Eliseu found space to cross from the left and Jimenez charged past two defenders to score with a flying header. The Mexican went close to adding another but Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer did well to parry his shot. The Bavarians looked briefly rattled by the setback but quickly recovered when Vidal, who scored the winner in the first leg, drilled in the equalizer after perfectly timing his shot from keeper Ederson's clearance. Guardiola had surprisingly kept top scorer Robert Lewandowski on the bench and Mueller took over his role, slipping in like a natural center forward and volleying in a Martinez assist. Bayern, also chasing a record fourth straight Bundesliga crown as well as the German Cup, did not let up and Douglas Costa' powerful shot hit the post on the hour. Martinez was lucky not to be sent off for a last-man foul and Benfica coach Rui Vitoria was sent to the stands over the referee's decision to book the Spaniard. But Talisca gave him something to smile about, curling the resulting free kick past Neuer to cap a battling performance against the German giant. "We fought until the end, so I have to congratulate my players and these amazing supporters," said the Portuguese coach. "We faced a very powerful team that knows how to dictate the pace of the game. We promised we would go eye to eye with Bayern and we did so."
