Bayern Munich 3-0 Gladbach: 17-year-old star overshadows Kane

Bayern Munich overcame a 15-minute late start and a stalemate against Borussia Mönchengladbach to win 3-0, extending their unbeaten run to 13 games. The turning point came after Vincent Kompany's early second-half changes, before 17-year-old Lennart Karl capped off a perfect evening with a fine long-range strike in the 81st minute. On a day when Harry Kane missed a great chance and had a goal ruled out by VAR for offside, Karl was the highlight.

Development: early red card, deadlocked first half

The game kicked off 15 minutes late because the away team bus was stuck on the way to the stadium. Bayern still started strongly, with Luis Díaz shooting wide of the post with his first chance. In the 19th minute, the first turning point came: Jens Castrop was shown a straight red card for a rough tackle on Díaz, leaving Gladbach with 10 men.

Despite having one more man for most of the match, Bayern struggled to overcome the home team's dense defense. Harry Kane missed a clear chance in the 42nd minute, ending the first half goalless and showing signs of impatience from the Bundesliga leaders.

Second half turning point: Kompany changes rhythm, Bayern unlocks

In the second half, coach Vincent Kompany brought in Raphael Guerreiro and Konrad Laimer to increase speed and mobility. The pressure immediately brought goals, although Kane's previous goal was denied by VAR for offside.

In the 64th minute, Joshua Kimmich passed the ball neatly and then finished accurately in the penalty area, breaking the deadlock. Just 5 minutes later, in the 69th minute, Guerreiro doubled the gap with an exemplary combination on the right wing, collapsing Gladbach's already stretched defensive structure.

Lennart Karl's moment, and the mark of depth

In the 76th minute, Kompany gave the chance to Lennart Karl (17 years old). Just 5 minutes on the field, Karl fired a beautiful long-range shot to seal the 3-0 score in the 81st minute. This was the next goal after he had just scored in the Champions League, showing Bayern's increasing depth and competitiveness for positions.

Tactical analysis: stretch the defense, accelerate the right wing

In the first half, despite having more players, Bayern lacked rhythm and sharpness in the final passes against Gladbach's multi-layered defense. The penetrations were not surprising enough, and the clearest chance (minute 42) passed after Kane's shot.

After the break, Kompany’s personnel changes changed the tempo. Laimer added energy in midfield, increasing the ability to recover and develop the ball early; Guerreiro brought flexibility on the right flank, helping Bayern coordinate quickly and constantly create passing angles inside and outside. The result was two consecutive goals in the 64th and 69th minutes, both coming after sharp combinations, right at the weak point exposed when Gladbach had to sit deep and reduce cover.

Karl's introduction midway through the second half was a message of Kompany's management of depth: a young player in form given the chance at the right time, and he responded with a quality long-range strike to seal the game.

Key facts and statistics

Impact on the race

The 3-0 win helped Bayern Munich consolidate their position at the top of the Bundesliga and extend their winning streak to 13 games. The multiple sources of goals (Kimmich, Guerreiro, Karl) and the impressive substitutions showed that Vincent Kompany's team are not reliant on one individual, even when Harry Kane had a bad day.

Line-up

• Monchengladbach: Nicolas, Castrop, Elvedi, Diks, Netz, Sander, Engelhardt, Honorat, Stoger, Reitz, Tabakovic
• Bayern Munich: Urbig, Boey, Upamecano, Kim Min Jae, Bischof, Kimmich, Goretzka, Olise, Harry Kane, Diaz, Jackson

Bayern Munich goalscorer:Kimmich 64', Guerreiro 69', Karl 81'

Monchengladbach red card:Jens Castrop 19'

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