Resolute Bayern overcome Tottenham

FC Bayern beat Tottenham Hotspur 3-2 in the Visit Malta Cup on Saturday night. After last week's 2-1 victory in Seoul, the crowd in London was treated to a very entertaining match. Dejan Kulusevski put Spurs in front in the first minute, but Dayot Upamecano, Serge Gnabry and Thomas Müller turned the game around before half-time. Kulusevski pulled one back after the restart, but with no more goals to come, Bayern sealed the Visit Malta Cup.

The Bavarians lined up with Manuel Neuer in goal and Josip Stanišić, Upamecano, Minjae Kim and Raphaël Guerreiro in a back four. Joshua Kimmich and Aleksandar Pavlović anchored a midfield featuring Gnabry, Müller and Jamal Musiala, with Mathys Tel as the target man. Boss Vincent Kompany made a number of changes at half-time and in the second half, ex-Tottenham men Eric Dier and Harry Kane coming on as subs.

Reds turn the tide

Seconds had been played when Kulusevski made the most of a failed clearance and found the net. Bayern went looking for a reply, Tel firing wide before Gnabry aimed too high. Munich levelled the scores when keeper Guglielmo Vicario parried a Tel header, with Upamecano on hand to mop up from point-blank range.

Tel and Müller saw their shots blocked, but Bayern were rewarded for their strong pressing game when Gnabry's low shot found the net after a bad pass. Musiala fired just wide and saw another effort saved, but Müller made it three for Bayern when he rose to connect with a Guerreiro free-kick and headed home.

On tenterhooks

Vicario denied Gnabry after the restart, Kulusevski soon pulling one back after an interception in Bayern's half. A Kimmich free-kick went just wide before Kane came on to great applause, Spurs' all-time record goalscorer seeing two efforts from distance fly over as Bayern sealed their second victory over the Premier League side this summer.

Bayern return to action on Tuesday, when they take on WSG Tirol in a dress rehearsal ahead of Friday's DFB Cup match away to Ulm.