Goalscorer on fire: Champions League kick-off

FC Bayern has plenty of reason to celebrate after a record start to the new Champions League season. One player once again shows his class.

Munich (dpa) – Four-goal man Harry Kane tucked the match ball under his arm and happily went to the fan stand with his teammates after FC Bayern’s biggest Champions League victory. “Super Bayern, super Bayern,” chanted the fans.

Led by goal-hungry Kane, the playful Bayern have opened the long road to the 2025 home final in Munich with an easy 9-2 (3-0) win against a Croatian football champion Dinamo Zagreb who was completely overwhelmed for long stretches.

The Munich team scored nine goals in a game in the European elite league for the first time and, with their 21st consecutive opening win, they lived up to their reputation as starting specialists in the new Champions League league system. “An exciting, a crazy game,” Kane said on the streaming service DAZN. “It was a fantastic evening. Three penalties in one game, I’ve never had that before. After the third one, I didn’t know what to do or where to shoot,” said the Englishman.

Furious Kane

He was the man of the evening in front of 75,000 spectators in the Allianz Arena. Three days after his hat-trick in the 6-1 win in Kiel, he scored his 50th to 53rd competitive goals in a Bayern shirt (20th/57th/72nd/78th minute). Interesting fact: The 31-year-old scored three times from the penalty spot. Kane is only the fourth player after Mario Gomez, Serge Gnabry and Robert Lewandowski to score four goals in one game for FC Bayern in the Champions League.

Despite a brace, the strong performance of Frenchman Michael Olise (38th/61st) paled in comparison. Raphaël Guerreiro also scored before half-time (33rd). The brilliant football evening was rounded off by the comeback goal of national player Leroy Sané (85th). And then Leon Goretzka scored in injury time, although he didn’t celebrate much.

Kompany with a successful debut

Vincent Kompany had a successful Champions League debut as a coach. “I’m happy for the boys,” said the Belgian. The Belgian was probably annoyed by the brief period of negligence immediately after the break. “That’s not ideal. But we stayed calm,” said Kompany indulgently.

After captain Manuel Neuer was injured in the dressing room, Dinamo reduced the deficit against substitute goalkeeper Sven Ulreich through Bruno Petkovic (49th) and Takuya Ogiwara (50th). When going forward, the Munich team neglected their defensive work a little.

Until half-time, Kompany was able to relax and enjoy watching his players combine and score goals from the sidelines. The upcoming away games in October at Aston Villa and especially FC Barcelona with former coach Hansi Flick should show where Kompany’s Bayern are heading on the international stage.

Finale at home «as a big dream»

Before kick-off on the streaming service DAZN, sporting director Max Eberl declared direct qualification for the round of 16, i.e. a place among the top eight in the table of 36 teams, to be the first interim goal. “That is a very ambitious goal,” he said. He described the final on May 31, 2025 in the Allianz Arena as “a big dream.”

The opening match against Zagreb was a clear affair, just like the 5-0 home win in the group match in 2015. The goal-hungry Bayern were constantly moving forward against very deep-lying guests, who were totally inferior until their double strike after the break.

Sané comes on for Olise and scores

In the ninth minute, the arena cheered for the first time, but Jamal Musiala’s goal was ruled out for offside. After a foul on Aleksandar Pavlovic, Kane scored his first goal of the evening from the penalty spot. Guerrero increased the score after a great pass from Musiala with his chest. New signing Olise was also an asset on the right wing.

After 68 minutes, the Frenchman was replaced by Leroy Sané. The international player was back in action for the first time since his groin operation following the European Championships at home – and was able to celebrate a goal on his return.

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