Bayern claim historic 2-0 win at Atlético Madrid as Lennart Karl and Konrad Laimer make the difference
There was an interesting statistic ahead of the encounter at the Metropolitano: Bayern had failed to win any of their three previous away matches in Madrid against Atlético, a streak that was finally broken. In 2016, Der Rekordmeister suffered two separate 1-0 defeats against the Spanish side, and the most recent meeting at the stadium ended in a 1-1 draw in 2020.
There was no clear favorite heading into Tuesday's encounter, with both Atlético and Bayern enjoying strong domestic campaigns. The Bavarians were still unbeaten in all competitions, while Atlético sat just two points behind Barcelona after eleven league matches.
One thing was clear beforehand: Bayern are dealing with a significant injury crisis at this stage in the season. Luis Díaz, Serge Gnabry, Jamal Musiala and Ismaël Saibari are all expected to remain sidelined for an extended period. Interim head coach Aaron Danks was therefore forced to make several adjustments to his starting line-up.
A goalless first half was a fair reflection of the game
One particularly positive development was the return of Joshua Kimmich to the starting XI. The influential midfielder had suffered the loss of his father a week earlier and had consequently missed the last three matches.
With Saibari and Gnabry among those unavailable, Michael Olise was deployed behind Harry Kane, who once again led the attack. Alphonso Davies also returned to the starting line-up as the left-sided attacking option; meanwhile, highly rated youngsters Tom Bischof and Lennart Karl were also given starting opportunities.
As expected, Diego Simeone's side started the match with plenty of intensity and aggression. The hosts created their first opportunity as early as the third minute, as Julián Álvarez found plenty of space on the left before curling an effort narrowly wide of Manuel Neuer's goal. The Atlético supporters continued to raise the atmosphere inside the Metropolitano, making it uneasy for Bayern in the early stages.
Bayern occasionally managed to escape the pressure, particularly through Michael Olise, but the next significant opportunity once again fell to the home side. Following a cleared corner, Pablo Barrios struck a first-time volley that sailed narrowly over the crossbar.
Bayern's first real opportunity arrived in the 22nd minute. After some determined work from Harry Kane and Dayot Upamecano, Lennart Karl found himself in a promising position, but his effort went just over the bar - the first threat from the visitors.
Danks' side gradually became more comfortable in possession and found ways to play through Atlético's pressing game. Bayern also began to show greater intensity themselves, creating a promising opportunity for Ballon d'Or winner Harry Kane. The English striker attempted a difficult volley, but his effort drifted narrowly wide.
Bayern enjoyed the better spells during the remainder of the first half, although their dominance did not translate into many clear-cut chances. A goalless scoreline at half-time was therefore a fair reflection of the opening 45 minutes.
Bayern maintain their high press after the break as Karl scores the winner
The second half began much like the first had ended, with Bayern taking control of possession and putting Atlético under pressure. Joshua Kimmich was quick to test Jan Oblak with a well-struck effort, but the Slovenian goalkeeper produced an excellent save to keep the score level.
However, Bayern's deserved breakthrough eventually arrived through a tactic that had already proved effective throughout the evening: pressing high and disrupting Atlético's build-up play.
Following a misunderstanding between Atlético's two central defenders, Lennart Karl reacted quickly, won possession and showed remarkable composure. The young German then produced a beautifully executed chip over Oblak, finding the back of the net and giving Bayern a deserved 1-0 lead.
There is, again, control of the game and Konrad Laimer secures the historic victory
After the opener from Karl, Atléti finally got an attempt on goal again. Llorente made an effort from about 20 yards, bringing out a strong save from Neuer.
Just a few minutes later, Harry Kane missed an open goal after he outplayed Oblak, a rare miscue for the current best footballer in the world. Bayern kept going with the tactics of the first half, early pressing and looking for slip-ups in the Atléti defense.
Fifteen minutes before full time, Konrad Laimer scored a screamer from the right side, giving Bayern the 2-0 cushion they'd been searching for. The Austrian full-back just waited, and waited, and waited... And then smashed the ball off the underside of the crossbar behind Oblak. The 2-0 victory was secured with confidence.
After four matches, Bayern remains unbeaten in the Champions League, currently sitting eighth in the table, with a trip to France to play Lille next up on November 25th.
