Lennart Karl pounced on a defensive error and Konrad Laimer finished Harry Kane’s pass as Bayern Munich beat Atlético Madrid 2-0 at the Metropolitano in the Champions League. Both goals came after the break, and Bayern won with Vincent Kompany still recovering.
Madrid, Spain: Atlético held the line for 53 minutes. Then Bayern found the one mistake they had been probing for, and the rest of the night belonged to the visitors. The league-phase match, played in front of 70,813 spectators, finished 2-0.
A first half of probing
The opening 45 minutes produced chances but no goals. Julián Álvarez shot narrowly wide for Atlético early on, while Bayern kept the ball and tested a compact home defence. Karl, 18, had an early opportunity after a run from Dayot Upamecano and a pass from Kane, but his shot went into the stands. Kane also missed a chance around the midway point of the half. It was goalless at the interval.
Karl and Laimer decide it
The breakthrough arrived in the 54th minute. Robin Le Normand held the ball too long inside the area, Karl dispossessed him and beat Jan Oblak to make it 1-0. Atlético were shaken, but Bayern stayed in control and survived a couple of scares before adding a second in the 74th minute. Kane slipped a pass into Laimer’s path, and the Austrian finished past Oblak.
Upamecano thought he had added a third late on, but the goal was disallowed. Oblak also tipped an Upamecano effort onto the bar, and Bayern ended the night with the points and a clean sheet. Bayern were without several regular attackers through injury, among them Jamal Musiala, Luis Díaz and Serge Gnabry, and Kompany was not on the touchline while he recovers from the illness that hospitalised him in late October, as reported when he was discharged.
What it means
Bayern now have eight points from four league-phase games. They return to the Bundesliga at Mainz on Saturday, three days after the 2-2 Klassiker draw with Dortmund, and visit Lille in the Champions League on November 25.
Result: Atlético Madrid 0, Bayern Munich 2 (UEFA Champions League, league phase, Estadio Metropolitano, November 3, 2026; half-time 0-0). Bayern scorers: Karl 54′, Laimer 74′ (assist: Kane).
