- Bayern maintains their unbeaten record after beating Galatasaray by 3-1
- Galatasaray caused problems for the Bundesliga giants during their visit to Turkey
- The difference was made by the goals of Coman, Kane, and Musiala
Bayern Munich increased their lead in group A after a 3-1 win over Turkish club Galatasaray on Tuesday in the Champions League.
Kingsley Coman scored the Bundesliga’s first goal after only eight minutes on the Ali Sami Yen Stadium, a powerful effort inside the box. But Mauro Icardi’s penalty brought Galatasaray to within a point of the Bundesliga after a frantic 45-minute opening period in which both teams looked incredibly dangerous.
Bayern did the job despite not playing at their peak. Harry Kane’s and Jamal Musiala’s goals in the second half put Bayern out of reach and extended their incredible 37-game Champions League Group Stage run without defeat.
The game’s unfolding
Thomas Tuchel was able to put together a strong team for their trip to Turkey despite a long injury list. After a beautiful Leroy Sane cross, it took only eight minutes before the German champions also scored. Coman fired a low shot past Fernando Muslera in the penalty box.
Sven Ulreich, however, had a good start and nearly brought the home side level when Kerem Acturkoglu’s scissor-kick was deflected by the bar just one minute after Bayern’s opening goal. Moments later, the Turkish striker was given another golden opportunity when the goalkeeper of the visitors spilled a simple cross. The Galatasaray player then fired over the bar from 8 yards.
Galatasaray’s well-deserved equaliser came after a breathless first 30 minutes. Icardi, who was pushed to the ground by Joshua Kimmich, scored a Panenka after a tense 30 minutes.
Akturkoglu missed another opportunity to score as the first half ended. Ulreich was forced to make a save with his outstretched hand after beating Kim Min-jae. Icardi missed a chance to score twice, curling a shot wide inside the box that should have been in the lower corner. Bayern was lucky to have a level score at half-time.
Galatasaray posed many problems for Bayern in the first-half / Ahmad Mora/Getty Images
After the half, the pace of play slowed a bit but Bayern still had to wait just five minutes before they created their first opportunity. Coman maneuvered behind Galatasaray’s high backline to reach the perimeter of the penalty area, where he cut back for Sane. However, the German was unable to put his shot past the crossbar.
Both sides were searching for a breakthrough. Lucas Torreira, Icardi and Sane all had half-chances. Muslera was stung by Sane at the opposite end. Bayern took full advantage of Galatasaray’s first-half efforts.
Kane scored goals despite being a spectator all night and showing little aggression in the attack third. After Musiala had his first shot blocked, Kane redirected it from a distance of several yards. He then turned in the rebound. Bayern had scored again from nothing.
In six minutes, despite all the hard work of Galatasaray, they were outclassed. Kane found Musiala, a youngster in the penalty box. From 12 yards, the 20-year old made no mistakes. He slid on his right foot to curl the ball into the corner.
Bayern increased their lead at the top of Group A as Tuchel’s team won comfortably. The Bavarians didn’t put on a show of their own, but they were efficient.
Bayern Munich player ratings vs Galatasaray (4-2-3-1)
The Bayern squad had a mixed performance / Ahmad Mora/GettyImages
Sven Ulreich, GK – 6/10 Made some good saves to keep Galatasaray away in the first-half but made an error with his handling that was potentially costly.
Rb: Noussair Madraoui – 6/10 –Assisted in the creation of Bayern’s second goal through some good work on the right. Otherwise, he was mostly anonymous. He struggled defensively and was perhaps not fully fit following a late fitness check.
Matthijs De Ligt, CB – 6/10The most solid defensive pair alongside Kim. Did the basics well. He was able to counter some Galatasaray’s attacks with his strength.
Kim Min-jae, CB – 5/10Uncharacteristically poor performance by the towering center-half. He made some poor decisions on the defensive side and was nowhere near his best. He was also wasteful with possession, frequently firing long-range balls to the three front players.
Alphonso Davies, LB – 7/10Tete received no improvement from the left back. Davies consistently rebuffed the Brazilian’s efforts to pass him on the right side of Galatasaray. Added plenty of energy to the attack.
Konrad Laimer, CM – 6/10Conducted himself well in the central area, but struggled with Galatasaray press at times. The Bayern team was not very impressive.
Joshua Kimmich, CM – 5/10Not his best performance. He was caught several times with possession in danger areas. Also looked ineffective at set pieces. The diving challenge was unnecessary and gave away a penalty.
Kingsley Coman, RM – 7/10 Displayed great composure in the opening goal. He picked out the lower corner of the net with ease. Despite not playing at his peak, he was still the Bavarians’ most important attacking player.
Jamal Musiala, AM – 7/10 Some neat touches during the first-half. After going missing for about 30 minutes, he returned with a crucial goal.
Leroy Sane, 7/10 – A lovely pass created the first goal. He also made many pacy runs behind Sacha Bey on the left. In the first-half, he overran two one-on ones and was unable to finish despite his lively performance.
Harry Kane, 7/10 Did nothing in the first 70 minutes for Bayern. Great goalscorers win matches, and he was in the perfect place and time to score and provide the assist.
Substitutes
Bouna Sarr substituted for Mazraoui (78′) on 6/10
Sub: Eric Maxim Choupo Moting (83′ Kane for) – N/A
Sub: Mathys Tele (83′ in place of Coman) – N/A
Subs not used: Daniel Peretz (GK), Frans Kratzig, Aleksandar Pavlovic, Thomas Muller.
Manager
Thomas Tuchel 5/10 – Not a very strong performance by Bayern. Tuchel relied on his team’s individual talent to win the game. Galatasaray created all kinds of issues, and the Bundesliga champions were lucky to take all three points.
