FC Bayern moved into the Champions League round of 16 ahead of schedule. After a 3-1 (1-0) win over RB Salzburg, Munich can no longer be ousted from one of the top two places in Group A after four matchdays. Chasers Atlético Madrid (0-0 against Lokomotiv Moscow) are seven points behind Bayern.
Against Salzburg, the game was open until Bayern star Robert Lewandowski’s goal (42nd minute). After the break, the Munich team followed suit: Kingsley Coman’s shot steered Maximilian Wöber decisively into his own goal (52nd), before Leroy Sané increased (68th). Mergim Berisha scored the goal for the Austrians (73). For the defending champion it was the fourth win in the fourth group game – and the 15th across the seasons in the competition. Before the meeting, Diego Maradona, who died today, was remembered.
Bayern coach Hansi Flick had to improvise in terms of personnel: In addition to Joshua Kimmich, who will be absent until the end of the year, Alphonso Davies, Corentin Tolisso, Bouna Sarr and Niklas Süle were also missing. The 20-year-old left-back Chris Richards made his debut in the premier class, sixth Marc Roca was allowed to start for the first time. Later in the game, right-back Benjamin Pavard had to be replaced. Bayern are certainly in the round of 16 – but they are gradually running out of defensive players.
Bayern struggled against compact Salzburg players. Serge Gnabry had the first chance, his direct decrease from 20 meters went right past (9th). But the guests had better opportunities: Berisha ran a failed cross pass from Alaba, who failed in a duel with Manuel Neuer; also Enock Mwepu, who could not use the margin from ten meters (16.). Only a few seconds later Berisha, under pressure from Alaba, headed a flank next to the gate. This was preceded by a bad pass from Bayern’s Leon Goretzka.
Suddenly outnumbered
35 minutes were over when Salzburg played over the left at speed, so that Jérôme Boateng had to leave the center and RB attacker Dominik Szoboszlai could be played freely in front of Neuer. The 20-year-old striker shot the ball far over the goal – and missed the greatest chance of the first half. Not so Bayern: RB goalkeeper Cican Stankovic let a shot ricochet off Müller, so that the goal for Lewandowski was an easy one (43.).
The second half was quick. Coman dribbled from the left inwards, Wöber falsified the shot that targeted the far corner into his own goal (52nd). After a foul in midfield, Roca, who had already been warned, saw yellow-red. Although Bayern were ten, they managed another goal. Coman’s flank headed Sané into the far right corner (68th). As a result, Neuer held from an acute angle from Berisha and Mwepu’s margin (70th), a little later Berisha met after a cross from Rasmus Kristensen (73th).
