Harry Kane’s long-awaited trophy dream was shattered in his debut game for Bayern Munich, as his team suffered a crushing 3-0 defeat to Leipzig in the German Super Cup on Saturday. Despite joining Bayern on the same day, Kane could only make an appearance as a substitute in the 64th minute when his team was already trailing 2-0. Unfortunately, his presence failed to make a significant impact on the game.
Meanwhile, Leipzig’s Dani Olmo showcased a remarkable display of clinical finishing, reminiscent of Kane’s style, as he scored a hat trick. Bayern’s defensive weaknesses from last season persisted, allowing Olmo to find the net. The Spanish midfielder capitalized on a loose ball from a third-minute free kick, exhibited a moment of individual brilliance just before halftime, and completed his hat trick from the penalty spot shortly after Kane entered the game.
Prior to the match, Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel praised Kane as a “model professional” and simply advised him to be himself at Bayern. Kane received a warm welcome from the crowd during the pre-game warmups. He now wears the iconic No. 9 shirt at Bayern, previously donned by the likes of Robert Lewandowski and the legendary Gerd Müller.
Instead of displaying dominance, Bayern witnessed Leipzig exposing the flaws in their newly assembled team. Leipzig took only three minutes to take the lead, with Olmo capitalizing on a deflection off Leipzig’s Benjamin Henrichs. Olmo’s second goal showcased his agility as he skillfully maneuvered past Matthijs de Ligt and Konrad Laimer before slotting the ball through goalkeeper Sven Ulreich’s legs. The third goal came from a penalty awarded for handball by Bayern’s right back Noussair Mazraoui, with Leipzig’s Nicolas Seiwald heading the ball into Mazraoui’s raised hand.
In addition to the defeat, Bayern still has to find a suitable replacement for the injured Manuel Neuer in goal. The team’s defense remains slow to respond to evolving threats, and young forward Mathys Tel, who started ahead of Kane, missed several crucial scoring opportunities. Tuchel expressed his disbelief at the inexplicable loss, especially considering Bayern’s good preseason form in friendlies.
Among Bayern’s new signings, former Leipzig midfielder Konrad Laimer was the only one to make the starting 11, while Kim Min-jae sat on the bench alongside Kane. Tuchel explained that Kim needed more time to adapt to Bayern after joining from Serie A champions Napoli. Kim entered the game at halftime when Bayern was already trailing 2-0 and made a late block on Benjamin Sesko’s shot to prevent Leipzig from extending their lead.
Dortmund’s Victory over Part-Timers
While Kane’s transfer grabbed the spotlight in Munich, Bayern’s title rival Borussia Dortmund began their season with an impressive 6-1 win over Schott Mainz, a fourth-tier team composed of part-time players, in the first round of the German Cup. Sébastien Haller scored twice for Dortmund, and Marcel Sabitzer, who made his debut after signing from Bayern, also found the back of the net.
In his first game since extending his contract, Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso led his team to an 8-0 victory against Teutonia Ottensen. However, two Bundesliga teams experienced surprising losses. Werder Bremen was defeated 3-2 by third-tier Viktoria Cologne with an added-time goal, playing with only 10 men due to Amos Pieper’s red card in the 11th minute. Additionally, Bochum suffered a penalty shootout loss to Arminia Bielefeld after a 2-2 draw.
Stuttgart triumphed over Balingen with a 4-0 win, and Mainz secured a 1-0 victory against Elversberg. Due to their Super Cup commitments, Bayern and Leipzig will play their first-round German Cup matches in late September.
About Author
This content is part of the AP soccer news. For more soccer-related updates and news, please visit https://apnews.com/hub/soccer.
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
