Phe overhead kick to win the group: Led by soccer artist Robert Lewandowski, an ice-cold FC Bayern in the Kiev refrigerator shivered with a rump troop for the 18th time to first place in the Champions League.
The mercilessly effective squad prevailed 2-1 at a rebellious Dynamo Kiev despite the most adverse conditions and remains flawless, at least in the premier class. In addition to the fifth win in the fifth game, which shook a lot at the end, there were also positive things away from the snow-covered lawn after all the corona vortex: In Serge Gnabry and Jamal Musiala, two of the five quarantine professionals have apparently now been vaccinated.
World footballers Lewandowski and Kingsley Coman scored well for the Munich team, who can now hope for a supposedly easier opponent in the draw for the round of 16 on December 13th. For the exceptional Polish striker, his ninth goal in the current competition meant another record: He was the first player to score for the second time in the ninth game in a row.
Some Kiev counterattacks put Bayern’s streak of 21 away games without defeat in the Champions League in danger again. But more than the connection of Denys Garmasch was not possible.
Süle free tested
Good for coach Julian Nagelsmann: His badly decimated squad with only 15 field players will soon fill up. Niklas Süle has been tested. In addition, Gnabry and Musiala, two of the five players who are in quarantine as contacts, are now said to have been vaccinated. Even skeptics Joshua Kimmich and Michael Cuisance are now allegedly considering this step.
Neither Nagelsmann nor sports director Hasan Salihamidzic wanted to comment on all of this. The coach, however, confessed to DAZN that if the threat of quarantine persisted and there was no protection for important stars, he would see “a small threat to the season’s goals”.
Failures at Kiev
He had to do without nine players at the Ukrainian champions, seven were missing due to Corona. Then it started to snow a few hours before the start of the game. The lawn was only sparsely cleared and did not provide a suitable surface for the Munich combination game. Kiev was dangerous after losing the ball.
In addition, a bare-chested speedster disrupted the game. In the Bayern fans’ block, there was also a brief hectic breakout because parts of the dynamo attachment were apparently looking for a confrontation.
Unimpressed by all this, “Lewa” struck at the first opportunity. After a ricochet, the world footballer rose with his back to the goal and sank into the right corner of the goal with a touchdown. A rare mistake by captain Manuel Neuer, who stepped over the ball after a back pass from Leon Goretzka, almost equaled – the left post saved the captain.
Coman, one of four newcomers to the starting line-up after the embarrassing 1: 2 in Augsburg, increased from the right pentagon after a nice combination and pass from Corentin Tolisso. Neuer kept Kiev at a distance with a strong double parade.
The Bavarians soon limited themselves to managing their lead and only occasionally came into dangerous areas. Nagelsmann afforded himself the luxury of replacing Lucas Hernandez, who represented the suspended Dayot Upamecano as defense chief, and Coman quite early – and was punished. Garmasch scored the first Dynamo goal in the current group stage.
Bayern have to fear two more failures a week and a half before the Bundesliga summit against Borussia Dortmund. On the night of Wednesday, Nagelsmann was not yet able to predict whether the ailing Lucas Hernández and Tanguy Nianzou, who had been replaced, were threatened with an injury break. Football world champion Hernández complained, according to Nagelsmann, of thigh problems. “We didn’t want to take any risks,” said the 34-year-old about replacing the defender.
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