4-3 win against Man Utd.
Thu, 21/09/2023, 00:51
Bayern extend impressive Champions League record streaks
A new season, but the same perfect start! Thanks to the 4-3 victory over Manchester United in this season's Champions League opener, Bayern have once again made a superb start to the competition: For the 20th time in a row, the Munich side have won their first game of the season in Europe's elite club competition – with a goal difference of 51-5. That is not only a record by a long way, but also hopefully a very good omen: since the beginning of the streak (with a 2-1 win against Celtic in 2003/04), FCB have always reached at least the round of 16.
"We're happy to have won the first Champions League game of the season and to have taken home the three points," said Leroy Sané, summing up the situation. The 27-year-old once again played a vital part in his team’s strong start to the competition with his opening goal to make it 1-0 in the 28th minute.
Sané repeats last season’s opener
The resemblance is uncanny: last season, the winger also scored Bayern's first goal in the Champions League when he beat Inter Milan’s keeper André Onana in the 25th minute. Onana, who now plays for Manchester United, grasped at thin air after fumbling Sané’s shot on Wednesday evening. Both in 2022 and this year, the Bayern attacker was later named 'Man of the Match' by UEFA for his strong performance.
Last-minute substitute Mathys Tel scored Bayern’s fourth goal in stoppage time on Wednesday evening.
The renewed strong start, however, is not the only extraordinary streak extended by Thomas Tuchel's team on their first Champions League evening of the season: the Munich side celebrated their 14th consecutive victory in the group stage of Europe's elite club competition on Wednesday (goal difference 46-8). That, of course, is also a record in the competition’s history.
Last home defeat in the group stage almost ten years ago
These figures become even more impressive when you look at the German record champions' recent home record in Champions League group matches. The only time Bayern have conceded points at home in the Allianz Arena in the past 27 games was in a 1-1 draw against Ajax Amsterdam (October 2018). The last home defeat in the preliminary round dates back to 10 December 2013 (3-2 against Manchester City). To put this into perspective: at that time, Mathys Tel, who came on as a substitute against Man Utd. and later scored Bayern’s last goal to make it 4-2, was just eight years old.
Here's the Man Utd match report:
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