Lennart Karl was having a poor first half. By the hour he was the match-winner. That swing is the cleanest way to describe Bayern Munich's 2-0 win at Atletico Madrid, a result that keeps them unbeaten in this season's Champions League and does so without the one thing the evening had been advertised on: a Harry Kane goal.
Bayern were the more composed side for long periods, and the two goals they got were enough. Atletico, for their part, hardly looked like scoring.
A teenager redeems himself
The 18-year-old had struggled before the break, the sort of forgettable 45 minutes that young players on big nights occasionally have. Nine minutes after the restart he put it right. Karl nipped in behind Robin Le Normand, took the ball off the defender's toe and chipped it over Jan Oblak with the calm of someone who had never been told the occasion was meant to be intimidating.
It was his first Champions League goal of the season, and it broke a game that had been tight and a little scrappy until then.
Laimer lands the second
The lead was doubled when Kane found Konrad Laimer in space and the Austrian blasted a ferocious strike over Oblak and into the roof of the net. It was the kind of finish a goalkeeper can only watch, and it ended any realistic hope Atletico had of getting back into the tie.
At the other end, Manuel Neuer had a very quiet night. He faced just one shot on target all evening. Oblak, by contrast, had to be sharp, tipping a deflected Dayot Upamecano strike onto the crossbar.
Kane draws a blank
The England captain was playing his first European match since winning the Ballon d'Or, and he arrived with a scoring streak that ran through his previous ten Champions League appearances. One more would have equalled Cristiano Ronaldo's record for the longest run in the competition. It did not come. Kane shanked an acrobatic attempt wide and later drilled a low effort off target, and the streak stopped at ten.
He still made the second goal, which is a fair reminder that the best centre-forwards rarely have a wasted night. Bayern will not lose much sleep over it, and they next face Lille on Wednesday 25 November, the same evening Atletico meet Viking.
Match facts: Atletico Madrid 0-2 Bayern Munich, Champions League league phase, Tuesday 3 November 2026. Goals: Lennart Karl (nine minutes after half-time), Konrad Laimer (second half, minute not given in the BBC report). Bayern remain unbeaten in this season's competition. Next: Bayern v Lille and Atletico v Viking, both Wednesday 25 November.
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