Bayern advance to last 16 of UEFA Cup

By Justin Palmer

LONDON (Reuters) - Germany striker Lukas Podolski's double powered Bayern Munich into the last 16 of the UEFA Cup as the competition favourites thumped Aberdeen 5-1 on Thursday.

Bayern, who will meet Anderlecht in the next round, went through 7-3 on aggregate after a one-sided contest at the Allianz Arena.

The Bundesliga will boast at least three sides in the second knockout round after Bayer Leverkusen, who enjoyed a 5-1 demolition of Galatasaray, set up a meeting with Hamburg SV.

That could rise to four later on Thursday with Werder Bremen, 3-0 up from the first leg, taking on Braga in a late kickoff.

It was a perfect night for British sides with Rangers, Tottenham Hotspur, Everton and Bolton Wanderers all progressing. Zenit St Petersburg, Getafe, Olympique Marseille, PSV Eindhoven, Benfica, Fiorentina and Sporting also booked their places.

Bayern made the breakthrough against Aberdeen after 12 minutes when Lucio thumped home a vicious free kick and they doubled their advantage nine minutes before halftime with defender Daniel van Buyten's powerful header.

Podolski added two more with a close-range finish on 71 minutes and a header six minutes later. Steve Lovell pulled one back for the Scottish side before Mark van Bommel's strike took Bayern's tally in the competition to 22 so far this season.

Leverkusen, one place and two points behind third-placed Hamburg in the Bundesliga, tore Galatasaray apart at the BayArena after a goalless first leg in Istanbul.