Bayern Beat Atlético 2-0 as Karl and Laimer Score

Bayern Munich beat Atlético Madrid 2-0 in the Champions League on Tuesday night. The visitors had the better of the game almost from the start and took the lead only after the break.

A first half Atlético survived

Bayern held almost 70% of the possession before half-time. Much of it came in a narrow strip along the front of the Atlético area, and the hosts gradually dropped deeper.

Chances were few. Julián Alvarez bent a shot just wide after 115 seconds. His second effort, from near the centre circle and about seventy yards out, drifted wide too. Atlético barely reached Manuel Neuer's goal. The nearest they came was a Marc Pubill cross that Alexander Sørloth could not quite reach at the far post.

Harry Kane was involved in much of Bayern's play. He volleyed wide from seven yards, and David Hancko blocked another of his efforts. Josip Stanisic and Konrad Laimer also missed the target.

Karl and Laimer decide it

Jan Oblak made his first save, from Joshua Kimmich, thirty seconds after the restart. In the 54th minute Atlético's defence opened. Tom Bischof's deflected shot fell between Robin Le Normand and Marc Pubill. Neither took charge of it, and 18-year-old Lennart Karl took the ball and put it past Oblak.

Diego Simeone changed his team's approach. Lee Kang-in, Koke and Ademola Lookman all came on almost immediately, and Atlético began to hold the ball. On 65 minutes Marcos Llorente turned inside the area and forced a first save from Neuer. The extra space also helped Bayern: Dayot Upamecano ran through from deep and hit the bar with a deflected shot.

The second goal came after Alphonso Davis took the ball from a tiring Llorente. Kane clipped a pass to Laimer on the right. Laimer sold a dummy shot, waited for Hancko to slide across, then hit the top of the net. Bayern had 19 shots in all.

Kane's night

Kane was playing his first European match since winning the Ballon d'Or. He had five efforts and did not score. He lost the 2019 final in this stadium and said beforehand he hoped to replace bad memories with good ones. He hopes to return on 5 June for another go at winning the Champions League there.

Our view

Bayern created far more than they scored, and Kane's five efforts all missed. Atlético changed their approach only after going behind. What the result does not show is how Bayern handle a rival that attacks earlier, and Bayern's next match should supply that evidence.

Source: The Guardian