Bayern Munich overcame some early nerves to see off Anderlecht and progress to the last sixteen of the Champions League on Wednesday night.

Bayern Munich's Dutch Roy Makaay scores a penalty against RSC Anderlecht's goalkeeper Daniel Zitka during their Champions League match in Munich. [AFP]

Dutch international striker Roy Makaay scored the all-important goal from the penalty spot after 42 minutes, but Bayern were far from convincing as they stuttered into the second round.

With so much at stake, Bayern began the game nervously, apparently more keen to keep things tight at the back than probe up front.

The tactic worked in as much as it prevented the Anderlecht strike-duo of Aruna Dindane and Ivica Mornar from receiving the ball in a dangerous position. However, Bayern's three strikers got very little in the way of service, much to the frustration of the Olympiastadion crowd.

The home side did, however, look the more dangerous when they did manage to put together a string of passes and Ze Roberto was more often than not the provider of the final ball, although there was a distinct lack of support in the Anderlecht box.

Indeed, it was hard to see where Claudio Pizarro, Roque Santa Cruz and Roy Makaay were for much of the opening 45 minutes.

Nevertheless, Pizarro did have the first half's best chances and came close to breaking the deadlock in the sixth minute but his shot was deflected wide.

And it was a heavy-handed challenge on the Peruvian striker by Michal Zewlakov that led to a dubious penalty for Bayern three minutes before the break.

Makaay was grateful to be given the chance to put the home side ahead from the spot and he sent Daniel Zitka the wrong way, placing the penalty in the bottom corner.

Makaay almost put the perfect finish to a fine piece of team play ten minutes into the second-half, but his shot was deflected wide after Bixente Lizarazu and Pizarro combined to set Ze Roberto free down the left wing.

Anderlecht were beginning to get back into the game and would have levelled things on the hour mark, had it not been for Lizarazu's clearance off the line from a Dindane header.

Dindane was certainly the danger man and Munich were lucky when he contrived to put the ball wide from just a few yards out ten minutes later.

Bayern's nerves surfaced once again going into the final twenty minutes and the fans didn't do much to help with a chorus of whistles sweeping around the ground, despite Oliver Kahn waving for them to get behind the team.

Yet the jeers must have hit a nerve as the home side started to come forward with more purpose and substitute Willy Sagnol was involved twice in an attempt to seal the win.

Firstly, his cross found Pizarro who in turn played the ball to Makaay in space, however the Dutchman failed to connect with a left-foot volley from ten yards out.

The roles were reversed minutes later when Makaay swung in a dangerous cross that Sagnol met at full stretch on the edge of the six-yard box. However he couldn't get a good enough contact on the ball and the chance went begging.

Anderlecht substitute Oleg Iachtchouk almost broke 50,000 hearts deep into stoppage time when he tested Kahn with a powerful volley from the edge of the box, but the German international keeper made a fine save low to his right.

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