Harry Kane scored from the penalty spot as Bayern Munich piled more misery on struggling Manchester United with a 4-3 home win in the Champions League on Thursday (AEST).
United travelled to Germany after a poor run of form and amid a raft of off-field issues and were offered little respite by a Bayern side who have now won their past 20 Champions League opening matches.
Stream Over 50 Sports Live & On-Demand with Kayo. Join now and start streaming instantly >
Bayern took control when visiting goalkeeper Andre Onana let Leroy Sane’s weak shot roll into the net in the 28th minute before Serge Gnabry swept home a second.
Rasmus Hojlund pulled one back before Kane drilled in a penalty early in the second half.
Casemiro’s late effort briefly gave United hope of an unlikely comeback against the run of play, but Bayern substitute Mathys Tel smashed home a fourth for the hosts in added time.
Brazilian Casemiro nodded in another consolation goal for United from the last attack of the match.
Coming into the match, Ten Hag said the challenges would teach his side to “focus on the process”.
Early on, they controlled possession and forced Bayern onto the back foot. Bayern would strike first, however, thanks to some clever work from Kane and Sane — and a poor mistake from Onana.
Sane evaded his marker and threaded a ball to Kane, who guided the ball back into the path of the former Manchester City winger.
Sane slid the ball goalwards and Onana made a meal of the save and allowed it to trickle into the net.
Kane scores as Bayern hold off United | 01:00
MORE COVERAGE
Wacky true story of blood and crises behind Champions League’s most unlikely rise
Kane twist as Spurs boss makes shock transfer reveal amid huge five-word Ange nod
Wrap: Wild scenes as GK scores last-gasp equaliser; England star saves Newcastle in CL return
Bayern celebrated as Onana lay forlorn on the Allianz Arena turf.
If Bayern’s first was a mix of team understanding and good fortune, the second came about mainly thanks to the individual brilliance of Jamal Musiala.
The England-raised midfielder, 20, collected the ball near the halfway line and dribbled goalwards, fending off the attention of several United defenders before squaring for Gnabry.
The former Arsenal forward slammed the ball into the net to leave United 2-0 down and reeling after a solid if unspectacular start.
The visitors did give their travelling fans hope just after half-time when United collected a poor back-pass from Musiala, Marcus Rashford finding summer signing Hojlund whose deflected shot evaded goalkeeper Sven Ulreich.
United’s hope was short-lived however, a VAR review finding a handball in the box from Christian Eriksen.
United complained about the call, with Eriksen clearly trying to withdraw his arm while having little time to react, but Kane stepped up and converted the spot-kick, his fifth goal in five starts for Bayern.
United rallied late on, Casemiro scoring either side of a Mathys Tel goal, but Bayern were never in serious danger of relinquishing the three points.
Arsenal thump PSV in return to UEFA CL | 00:39
SPANISH GIANTS SURVIVE SCARE
Jude Bellingham rescued Real Madrid with a 94th-minute strike to earn the Spanish giants a 1-0 win over Champions League debutants Union Berlin on Thursday (AEST).
Carlo Ancelotti’s side, 14-time winners of the competition, were thwarted at every turn by their stubborn German opponents, who were only promoted to the Bundesliga four years ago, until Bellingham prodded home at the death.
Madrid seemed destined to take only a point after Union Berlin goalkeeper Frederik Ronnow frustrated them and Rodrygo and Joselu both hit the woodwork.
Real Madrid have only failed to score in one of their last 68 home matches in the Champions League, and on few occasions at the Santiago Bernabeu have they seemed as toothless as in the first half.
Despite Madrid’s illustrious history, the visitors were calm, composed and above all, well-drilled defensively, under Swiss coach Urs Fischer.
The German side sat deep, surrendered the ball to Madrid and succeeded in frustrating the hosts.
Joselu wasted Madrid’s best chance in the first half, heading narrowly wide, while his teammates were reduced to potshots from distance.
Madrid turned the screw in the second half as the minutes ticked away, with Ronnow making a superb save to deny Rodrygo at the near post, before the Brazilian cracked another effort against the woodwork.
Berlin’s goalkeeper tipped Joselu header’s against the post, while also denying veteran midfielder Luka Modric, given a rare start by Ancelotti.
Union Berlin were living on a knife-edge in the final stages, with Joselu swinging a leg at Bellingham’s cross to direct the ball fractionally wide with Ronnow beaten.
Eventually Bellingham decided the game, in the right place at the right time as a deflected strike fell his way in the box and he stabbed home from point-blank range.
GUNNER PERFECT RETURN
Arsenal made a dream return to the Champions League as Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard inspired a 4-0 demolition of PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday.
Back in Europe’s elite club competition for the first time in six years, Arsenal swept aside the overwhelmed Dutch league leaders to prove they can cope with the step up in class.
Mikel Arteta’s side ran riot in the first half at the Emirates Stadium, with Saka scoring his first goal in the competition before setting up Trossard to double the lead.
Trossard also went from scorer to provider as he laid on the third goal for Gabriel Jesus, with Martin Odegaard completing the rout after the break.
Arsenal’s previous game in the competition was in March 2017, when Bayern Munich completed a humiliating 10-2 aggregate victory in the last 16.
The Gunners are a far more formidable force now, despite their lack of Champions League experience, and should cruise through Group B, which also features Sevilla and Lens.
Arsenal are unbeaten with four wins from five in the Premier League as they aim to make amends for last season’s collapse in the title race.
But the chance to advance to the latter stages of the Champions League — a competition they have never won — is also a major incentive for Arteta’s men and they look up to the task on this evidence.
In his first match as a boss in the Champions League, Arteta was rewarded with another clean-sheet from David Raya, who kept his place after the on-loan Brentford keeper replaced Aaron Ramsdale for Sunday’s Premier League win at Everton.
Arteta had told his players to make “beautiful memories” on their Champions League return and the air of anticipation around the Emirates Stadium was palpable before kick-off.
Even the torrential rain couldn’t dampen the enthusiasm of Arsenal fans, who were so caught up in the occasion that they greeted the Champions League anthem with an ear-splitting roar.
– Fever pitch –
The incessant noise from the stands reached fever pitch after just eight minutes when Saka put Arsenal ahead.
Odegaard’s shot from the edge of the area was weakly pushed out by PSV keeper Walter Benitez and Saka alertly followed up to finish clinically from close-range.
It was raining goals in the downpour and the dynamic Saka’s incisive pass picked out Trossard, who dispatched a fine first-time finish past Benitez from the edge of the area in the 20th minute.
The Belgian forward has scored in two successive games after bagging the winner at Everton.
Having revealed this week that he often skipped school to watch Champions League matches on television as a child, Jesus’s boyhood passion for the tournament clearly hasn’t dimmed as he tore through the PSV defence time and again.
Benitez denied Jesus with his legs, then pushed away another fierce effort from the Brazilian.
Jesus scored 14 times in 22 Champions League appearances for Manchester City and he finally added to his tally after 38 minutes.
Trossard’s pin-point cross found Jesus, who punished PSV’s woeful marking as he slammed his shot into the far corner from eight yards.
It was the first time Arsenal had scored three goals in the first half of a Champions League tie since 2014 against Galatasaray.
With Sunday’s north London derby against Tottenham in mind, Arteta made a raft of second half substitutions to protect his key players.
Encapsulating Arsenal’s perfect evening, Odegaard ensured the atmosphere didn’t go flat as he rifled a superb 20-yard strike past Benitez in the 70th minute.
FULL CL RESULTS
Real Madrid 1-0 Union Berlin
Galatasaray 2-2 FC Copenhagen
Bayern Munich 4-3 Manchester United
Benfica 0-2 Red Bull Salzburg
Braga 1-2 Napoli
Arsenal 4-0 PSV Eindhoven
Sevilla 1-1 Lens
Real Sociedad 1-1 Inter Milan