Tag: Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich booked their place in the knockout stages of the Club World Cup with Harry Kane and Michael Olise on target in a hard-fought 2-1 win over Argentina’s Boca Juniors on Friday.

Kane’s strike gave the German champions the lead, only for Miguel Merentiel to equalise, but Olise popped up with a late winner.

After defeats for Paris Saint-Germain against Botofogo and Chelsea against Flamengo, Bayern bucked the trend of European teams falling to South American opponents with an accomplished victory in the Group C encounter.

Hard Rock Stadium was packed to the rafters with Boca fans who once again brought incredible passion and noise to the NFL stadium, home to the Miami Dolphins.

But Bayern set about quieting the 63,587 crowd with Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka taking charge of midfield, and the movement of Bayern’s frontline stretching the Boca defence.

The German side thought they had the lead in the eighth minute when a corner from Olise passed untouched through a crowded six-yard box and into the net.

But the referee was called to the monitor for a VAR review, where he was able to clearly see that Serge Gnabry had blocked and tangled with Boca goalkeeper Agustin Marchesin, and the effort was ruled out.

Ten minutes later, however, Bayern had the breakthrough when Boca were unable to fully clear a ball into the box and Kane pounced with a clinical left-foot shot into the bottom corner.

Bayern smelled blood and pushed for a second — Olise found Gnabry on the right, and his low ball across goal was just inches away from the sliding Kingsley Coman.

Boca desperately needed to find a foothold in the game, and they came close when a thundering free-kick from Kevin Zenon was punched out by Manuel Neuer.

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Moments later, Zenon tested the Bayern keeper again with another fierce strike, which Neuer punched away.

But for all the signs of life from Boca, Bayern looked in control of the game, and Kane was close to making it 2-0 with a dangerous free-kick which dipped just too late and flashed over the bar.

Bayern Munich continued to look for a second after the interval, and the busy Olise should have done better from close range but couldn’t connect properly with an off-balance shot.

Boca never gave up harrying and grafting, though, and their reward came in the 66th minute.

On a turnover in midfield, Alan Velasco found Miguel Merentiel down the right, and he powered goalwards, skipping around Josip Stanisic before producing a brilliant, confident finish past the helpless Neuer.

It looked like South American clubs’ unbeaten record in the tournament was going to hold, but with six minutes remaining, Olise provided the decisive blow.

After a scramble on the edge of the box, Kane found the France international with a delicate lay-off, and Olise provided precision control with a superb side-foot finish into the corner.

Konrad Laimer thought he had wrapped up the win with a third moments later, but he was ruled offside.

It was the first loss for a South American side in the competition, and it leaves Boca with just one point before their final group game.

Bayern Munich have the maximum six points after crushing Auckland City 10-0 in their opening game, with Portugal’s Benfica in second place on four points.

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Jamal Musiala came off the bench to score a hat-trick as Bayern Munich mauled amateurs Auckland City of New Zealand 10-0 in their opening game at the Club World Cup on Sunday.

Kingsley Coman, Michael Olise and Thomas Mueller all netted twice, while Sacha Boey was on target too for the German champions in the game in Group C, which also features Boca Juniors and Benfica.

Harry Kane started but didn’t get on the scoresheet before being replaced just after the hour mark by Musiala, who netted his three goals in the space of 18 minutes towards the end.

It was a stroll in the park in the midday sun in Cincinnati for Bayern Munich, with France winger Coman scoring twice in the opening 21 minutes on either side of goals by compatriots Boey and Olise.

Coman’s sixth-minute breakthrough goal was the first of the tournament following the 0-0 draw between Inter Miami and Al Ahly in Saturday’s opening game.

Mueller got the fifth, and Olise’s second of the afternoon made it 6-0 in first-half stoppage time for the Bundesliga heavyweights.

Olise’s strike for the sixth was the pick of the day’s goals, as he came in from the right before curling a shot on his left foot into the far corner.

Auckland City managed to stem the tide for much of the second half before Musiala came on and took centre stage, his three goals including one from the penalty spot after he had been fouled.

Mueller, who will leave Bayern after the tournament, made it 10-0 in the 89th minute with his 250th goal for the club.

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The result confirmed the enormous gulf between one of Europe’s giants and an Auckland side who have won the Oceania Champions League 13 times but whose amateur players had to take unpaid leave to travel to the United States for the tournament.

“This is the reality of football against one of the world’s top teams,” admitted City’s interim coach, Ivan Vicelich.

“It is a dream for players coming from an amateur level to play in this environment.

“We knew it was going to be a very difficult game, playing against one of the top teams in the world, potentially one of the favourites for the Club World Cup, so we are just really proud of the players’ efforts.”

However, the result made it an ideal start for Bayern Munich, who won the Club World Cup twice in its former seven-team guise, in 2013 and 2020.

They have recorded bigger victories in the past in the German Cup, but the 10-goal winning margin equals their best ever in the Bundesliga, when they beat Borussia Dortmund 11-1 in 1971.

Bayern, who gave new signing Jonathan Tah a debut in central defence following his recent arrival from Bayer Leverkusen, play Boca in their next match in Miami on Friday.

Auckland City take on Benfica earlier the same day in Orlando.

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England centre-back Eric Dier is set to leave Bayern Munich at the end of the season, when his contract is up, the club’s sporting director said on Friday.

“We’ve had talks with Eric about a potential contract extension,” said Christoph Freund. “He told us that he won’t extend his time with Bayern and that he’ll leave the club at the end of the season.”

Dier’s contract expires on June 30, but Bayern Munich are still in talks in a bid to extend that temporarily to cover the Club World Cup, which runs from June 14 to July 13 in the United States.

Eric Dier touched down in Munich on loan in January 2024, establishing himself as a starter in defence alongside Matthijs de Ligt under then-coach Thomas Tuchel.

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The 31-year-old sealed a full transfer in the summer of 2024 on a one-year deal.

Although less used by current coach Vincent Kompany, Dier has been a key player in stepping in to cover injuries to central defenders Kim Min-jae and Dayot Upamecano.

“We’ve had a great time with Eric, and I hope he’ll crown his time with Bayern with a title,” Freund said of the 49-time capped England player.

According to press reports in France and Germany, Dier is set to join Monaco on a deal that will run through to the summer of 2027.

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Bayern Munich veteran Thomas Mueller can win his 13th league title with a victory at RB Leipzig on Saturday, as his summer departure after 25 seasons at the club draws near.

Eight points clear of defending champions Bayer Leverkusen with three games remaining, Bayern will clinch the title if they beat Leipzig this weekend.

Bayern’s last league win at Leipzig came in 2021. If the Bavarians falter, they will still wrap up the Bundesliga crown if Leverkusen fail to beat Freiburg on Sunday.

Another league title would be a fitting farewell for Mueller, who joined Bayern at the age of 10 and played his 500th Bundesliga game last week.

A one-club player, Thomas Mueller has amassed a remarkable 32 trophies with Bayern, including two Champions Leagues, but will leave at the end of the season after he was not offered a contract extension.

No player has ever won 13 Bundesliga titles and only Manchester United’s Ryan Giggs has hit that mark in any of Europe’s top five leagues.

“It sounds good, doesn’t it?” Mueller said of the record in an interview with the Bundesliga website on Wednesday.

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“I won my first title in 2010. You’re holding something heavy in your hands, and it gives you the feeling that it’s not really easy to win the thing.

“There’s always a lot of work, and you have to perform over a long period. That’s why the satisfaction when you win the league trophy is greater than the Champions League or the German Cup.”

With his departure edging closer, Thomas Mueller has been celebrated by fans at home and away, but has been quick to remind everyone he is not on a farewell tour — and that there is a title at stake.

“On the topic of pride, I’m someone who lives life looking forward rather than looking back too much,” said Mueller. “Looking back is nice, and then you can toast to it and ask: ‘What are you doing tomorrow?'”

At the other end of the table, Bochum will be the first side relegated if they lose at Heidenheim on Friday.

Bochum’s struggles this season have come not against the top teams, but against mid-table sides and fellow relegation battlers.

Bochum have only won two of their past 14 games, but those wins came against Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.

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After a career marked by a multitude of personal accolades but devoid of any team triumphs, Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane stands on the brink of glory.

This weekend, as the final whistle blows in Saturday’s thrilling home match against Mainz, he could finally experience the exhilarating breakthrough of clinching a title.

If Bayern Munich beat sixth-placed Mainz and second-placed Bayer Leverkusen fail to beat Augsburg at home, Bayern and Kane will be crowned Bundesliga winners.

Bayern are eight points clear with four games remaining, so a first title for Kane is a mere formality.

But after losing six finals — three with Tottenham, two with England and one with Bayern — a debut title win would be a long-awaited reward for the 31-year-old forward.

After two decades at boyhood club Tottenham, Harry Kane moved to Bayern Munich in 2023, motivated by a desire for team honours.

While Bayern’s dreams of winning the Champions League in their own stadium this season flamed out with a quarter-final loss to Inter Milan, lifting the Bundesliga shield would soothe frustrations after a trophyless 2023-24.

Kane has rarely spoken about the title, preferring to focus on the task at hand, but in February, he revealed how much the pursuit of a team honour drove him.

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“There are many people who, throughout my career, only talk about the fact I haven’t won a title yet. It would be nice to silence a few of them,” Kane said.

Harry Kane would also join Kevin Keegan and Owen Hargreaves as Englishmen who won the Bundesliga.

Speaking with Sky Germany on Wednesday, Bayern powerbroker Uli Hoeness — a key player behind the 100 million euro ($105 million) decision to bring Kane to Bavaria — said “nobody deserves the title more” than the England captain.

Calling Kane “a real Bayern player”, Hoeness lavished praise on the striker, saying, “he fights, he works, he scores an incredible number of goals, but he also works hard for the team.

“You can feel that he absolutely wants to win this title.”

On Saturday, Eintracht Frankfurt can take a step in qualifying for the Champions League through a top-four finish for the first time, when they host RB Leipzig.

Frankfurt, whose only other participation in the modern Champions League came through winning the Europa League, sit three points clear of fourth-placed Leipzig.

Leipzig could fall as low as sixth with a loss, while seventh-placed Borussia Dortmund — who have taken 10 of a possible 12 points in their past four matches — are also within striking distance.

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Bayern Munich and Harry Kane head to Inter Milan on Wednesday needing a victory to reach the semi-finals and keep their dream of playing in a home Champions League final alive.

Inter’s 2-1 win in Munich puts the Italians in the box seat to reach the Champions League semis for the second time in three years.

Despite a bulging injury list, Bayern had enough chances to win the first leg but failed to make their dominance show on the scoresheet.

It has been a familiar story recently for the German giants, and in particular, star striker Kane.

In Saturday’s 2-2 draw against rivals Borussia Dortmund, Vincent Kompany’s men failed to make a glut of chances count.

If the German giants are to reach the Champions League showpiece at their Allianz Arena home at the end of May, Harry Kane and the forward line will need to find their lost killer instinct.

In their past two games, Bayern Munich have scored three times from 46 shots on goal.

Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, centre-backs Dayot Upamecano and Hiroki Ito and wing-back Alphonso Davies will all miss the trip to Milan, hollowing out Bayern’s defence. Midfield creator Jamal Musiala will also be absent.

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Under-pressure central defender Kim Min-jae, who was hooked shortly after a mistake leading to Dortmund’s first on Saturday, is still nursing an Achilles injury but looks set to play on Wednesday.

Against Dortmund, Bayern finished with one fit centre-back on the field: English veteran Eric Dier.

Given the defensive woes, the need to convert chances becomes even more important.

Bayern Munich and Harry Kane had no trouble in the last 16 against Bayer Leverkusen when the England captain scored three goals across the two-game tie.

The 31-year-old has 10 goals in 12 games this Champions League season.

Kane told reporters on Saturday his side were “dominant” but “were a bit wasteful with our chances” against Dortmund, as they had been against Inter in Munich.

“We just have to be more clinical. On another day we would have got three or four against them (Inter). It gives us confidence because we know we can create chances against them,” Harry Kane said.

Bayern Munich are chasing the romance of winning the title on home soil and hoping to exorcise the ghosts of their 2012 final loss to Chelsea in Munich. To reach the semi-finals, Bayern will need a two-goal win, or victory by one followed by a triumph on penalties.

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Bayern Munich legend Thomas Mueller confirmed on Saturday that the club will not offer him a new contract, bringing an end to his 25-year career with the Bundesliga giants at the end of the campaign.

The 35-year-old, whose contract was set to expire in the summer, said in a post on social media that the decision was made by the club and “not what I would have wished”.

Mueller said he did not like how the contract saga played out “back and forth in public” in recent months, but he “felt the appreciation from everyone involved after my long time with Bayern”.

“The special connection to the club and our fantastic fans will always remain,” he said.

Mueller came through the Bayern junior system and has won two Champions Leagues, along with 12 Bundesliga titles.

His focus was now on “bringing the league title back to Munich” as well as reaching this season’s Champions League final, which will be held in Bayern’s Allianz Arena home.

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Later on Saturday, Bayern issued a statement saying Mueller would be honoured with a testimonial match and that the midfielder would play at the Club World Cup in July.

“Thomas Mueller had the definition of a Bavarian fairytale career,” club president Herbert Hainer said.

Mueller was born in the nearby Bavarian town of Weilheim and joined the club aged 10, making his debut under coach Jurgen Klinsmann in 2008 against a Hamburg side featuring current Bayern coach Vincent Kompany.

A one-club player, Mueller’s 743 matches for Bayern in all competitions is the most in the team’s history. He has registered 247 goals and 273 assists for the club in that time.

In recent seasons, Mueller has started from the bench more regularly, leading to growing speculation that he could leave the club.

The midfielder did not reveal where he would play next season, although German media has speculated he could make a late-career move to the United States of America (USA) to play in the MLS.

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Bayern Munich captain Manuel Neuer will likely not play again in 2024, coach Vincent Kompany confirmed ahead of Tuesday’s clash with Shakhtar Donetsk.

Speaking on Monday, Kompany said “he’s got a broken rib, which means he probably won’t play again this year.

“What’s important is that it heals now. Hopefully from the start of January, we’ll have Manu back, but for now, it’s too early.”

Kompany confirmed that Neuer broke his rib in a collision with Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong on Tuesday, for which the goalie also picked up the first red card of his 866-game career.

Bayern Munich are missing several first-team players as an injury crisis sweeps through the club.

Manuel Neuer, Harry Kane, Kingsley Coman, Alphonso Davies, Joao Palhinha, Serge Gnabry, Josip Stanisic, Hiroki Ito and Mathys Tel are all on the injured list, while backup ‘keeper Sven Ulreich is out for personal reasons.

“We’re missing a lot of players, but I think we’ve come through well so far,” Vincent Kompany said.

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Neuer’s absence means Bayern’s third-choice goalie, Daniel Peretz, will start between the sticks.

The Israel goalkeeper will play his third game for Bayern having made his club debut off the bench after Neuer’s sending off in the 1-0 German Cup last 16 loss to Leverkusen.

The six-time Champions League winners sit in 13th spot on the Champions League table after five matches, after three home wins and away losses to Barcelona and Aston Villa.

A win against Shakhtar would help Bayern’s bid to finish in the top eight and avoid an additional playoff round.

Officially an ‘away’ fixture for Bayern, Tuesday’s match is in the German city of Gelsenkirchen, Shakhtar’s European base this season as their displacement due to Russia’s invasion continues.

Bayern last lost in Gelsenkirchen, the home ground of second-division Schalke, in 2010. Since then, Bayern have won 11 and drawn one of 12 games, scoring 29 goals and conceding just two.

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Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany said on Monday that he is hopeful that injured star striker Harry Kane will return to the pitch before the end of the year.

“There’s a chance he’ll play again this year,” Kompany told a press conference on the eve of Bayern’s German Cup last 16 clash against holders Bayer Leverkusen.

The 31-year-old forward pulled up with a hamstring tear during Saturday’s 1-1 Bundesliga draw at Borussia Dortmund and will miss “a few games”, Kompany said.

The Bundesliga leaders have five games before the end-of-year break including a Champions League game against Shakhtar Donetsk.

England captain Harry Kane has been a key player for Bayern Munich with 20 goals in all competitions since the start of the season.

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“You can’t replace him one-to-one. He’s a top player. But we’ll solve things differently. There will be no lack of talent tomorrow,” said Vincent Kompany.

“We have several options — Thomas Mueller, Mathys Tel, Serge Gnabry, Michael Olise, Leroy Sane. Maybe not Kingsley Coman in that position.

“Harry has scored 20 goals. You can’t replace that. But we have players who score goals, including Jamal (Musiala). We’ll have a solution. We have enough players who can fulfil the role, even if you can’t replace his goals one-to-one.”

Gnabry remains uncertain for Tuesday’s Cup match, having also missed the Dortmund game with knee problems but midfielder Joao Palhinha returned to training on Monday following a muscle tear picked up on international duty with Portugal last month.

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Bayern Munich captain Manuel Neuer shared that his side is fully focused on the Champions League season and aiming to play the final, which is scheduled at Allianz Arena.

“Something big is coming,” Neuer told reporters ahead of Tuesday’s opening clash with Dinamo Zagreb at home.

“The most important thing is the final in Munich. We want to go there and everything else is secondary.

“We know what this final means to the city, the fans and the players. Our motivation is simply very high.”

Six-time European champions Bayern Munich come into the season after their first trophyless campaign in 11 seasons, with Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen winning a league and cup double.

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In the Champions League, Bayern were eliminated in the semi-finals by eventual winners Real Madrid, who beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0 at Wembley to lift the trophy.

Manuel Neuer and fellow Bayern veteran Thomas Mueller, who both won the 2013 and 2020 Champions League finals, are the only two players in the squad to remember the 2012 home final, which they lost on penalties to Premier League side Chelsea.

Mueller went on social media on Monday, telling followers “the road to Munich starts tomorrow. “I’m very excited. Let’s enjoy the best football in Europe.”

Manager Vincent Kompany, set to coach his first match in the Champions League, told reporters “the fans can dream”.

“The most important thing for me is that we show it on the pitch. We have a difficult game tomorrow. The important thing is that we play well and win tomorrow.”

Bayern have won every one of their Champions League openers since 2002  when they lost 3-2 to Deportivo La Coruna, which was the prelude to their first and only group stage elimination.

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