Many failures, many games beforehand and a lot of luck: FC Bayern Munich finished the year with a 4-0 (2-0) win over 1. FC Heidenheim in the Bundesliga.
Two rebound goals from Josip Stanisic (15th minute) and Michael Olise (32nd) as well as several missed top chances by the hosts ensured the victorious end to competitive games in 2025, Luis Diaz (85th) and Harry Kane (90th + 3) made the matter clearer than it was.
There was a premiere for Bayern at the annual finale. Due to the injury-related absences of Manuel Neuer and Joshua Kimmich, Kane was allowed to lead the Munich team onto the field for the first time as captain. A familiar role for the striker, who is also player-manager of the English national team, but a new one for the German record champions.
So far, Kane has particularly impressively filled the role of goalscorer and during the week he also set his sights on the record set by his predecessor Robert Lewandowski. “I think it’s possible, especially with the start I’ve had so far this year”Kane said on Sky about whether he could surpass the Pole’s 41 goals from the 2020/21 season. The 32-year-old had snapped 18 times before the Heidenheim game this season.
Stanisic uses the “rebound” to take the lead
From the start there were signs that it would be an evening in which Kane would have the opportunity to further improve his haul. Only Bayern played, but other players initially became dangerous in front of the goal. Jonathan Tah had the first opportunity in the twelfth minute after a free kick cross, which Diant Ramaj was able to defuse. Shortly afterwards, the goalkeeper was there again against Tah, but the ball bounced straight to Stanisic, who headed it to make it 1-0 (15th).
Coach Vincent Kompany’s team had over 80 percent possession of the ball and immediately nipped the few Heidenheim counterattacks in the bud. Things became most dangerous when a cross from Jonas Föhrenbach was narrowly missed by several Heidenheimers (28th).
FC Bayern also scores through Olise after a rebound
On the other hand, it became more dangerous, but the favorite also needed a little luck. Bayern’s first goal was more of a mess, and the second goal was even more so. After a cross, Ramaj and Patrick Mainka got in each other’s way, which is why Hiroki Ito shot – Mainka’s lying leg blocked in front of the line, but again the rebound went to a Munich player, Olise pushed the ball in from close range (32nd).
Bayern acted very confidently, but Kane’s game was not. In the first half he had one (not too dangerous) shot on goal with a hit probability of 0.03. After the declaration of war on Lewandowski and the appointment as captain, there was still a lot of room for improvement in the second half.
Kane misses the great chance to score his 19th goal of the season
In the 53rd minute, Kane had his first big moment. First he turned world-class around Mainka in the captain’s duel, but then his low shot hit the post – it was actually a chance that he didn’t miss. Shortly afterwards the ball hit the aluminum again, but on the other side. Heidenheim’s top joker Stefan Schimmer prevailed in the air, but his header landed on the crossbar (55th).
Overall, Bayern gave the hosts more space and were significantly sloppier themselves. It was probably Kompany’s request that his team decide the game early in order to go into the winter break with as little energy as possible. But Kane didn’t score even after Ramaj’s bad pass in his own penalty area, the goalkeeper scratched the ball off the goalgetter’s foot (66th).
Ibrahimovic and Schimmer miss Heidenheim’s connection
Arijon Ibrahimovic had a 100% chance of scoring, but the Bayern loanee shot the ball over completely freely (68′). The Munich team noticed the numerous failures as well as the hardships of the past few months. The record champions could no longer maintain the pressure of the first half; they simply didn’t have the strength to do so. So it was probably just a matter of getting through the rest of the season unscathed.
Goalkeeper Jonas Urbig made sure of that when he was just able to close his legs and make a save on Schimmer’s next big chance (78′). So Bayern’s success remained, which was deserved but also fortunate because of the goals they scored and Heidenheim’s missed chances. And it was a bit too clear after Diaz’s diving header (85′).
Kane still scores
This was especially true when Kane scored his 19th goal of the season in the third minute of added time and celebrated an anniversary. Because it was the 100th goal participation in the FC Bayern jersey in the Bundesliga. Again the striker turned heavily around his opponent, but this time he deliberately sank the ball into the near corner.
With 41 out of 45 possible points, Bayern’s almost perfect half-year ends. The lead over second place Borussia Dortmund is nine points before the restart on January 11th against VfL Wolfsburg (5.30 p.m.). “It was a really good performance from us in the first half. Then we made a few mistakes, but that’s part of football. Overall, it was a good win for us and we’re looking forward to the new year with optimism.”said Kane on “DAZN”.
Heidenheim coach Schmidt highlights next games
Heidenheim goes into the winter break with a clear defeat as second to last (eleven points), but with a good performance they should have gained courage for the next games in the Bundesliga. On January 10th, coach Frank Schmidt’s team will aim for the next points against 1. FC Köln.
“It was clear that it would be difficult after the 0:2. But we left out 100 percent, if we lost 1:2, it could be fun again. 0:4 sounds brutal, but I don’t think that’s what the game was like.”said Schmidt in the Sportschau interview: “We will think about what we have to do to be one step further in the game against Cologne, because then there will be games against the teams that are closer to us. The distance is not such that you can’t have the fantasy that we can climb a few places.”
