There was football of a different kind at the Allianz Arena on Sunday. In the second NFL Munich Game, American football teams the Carolina Panthers and the New York Giants met in the Bavarian state capital at the customary Bundesliga kick-off time of 15:30. The Panthers triumphed 20-17 in overtime in front of a crowd of 70,132 in Fröttmaning to move above the Giants in their division. Several players and officials from FC Bayern were in attendance.
Tension to the end: Panthers beat Giants in overtime
The Panthers dominated proceedings on the field and took a clear lead into the interval after the first two quarters. However, because the Panthers didn't kill the game off and the New York City offence, anonymous up that point, sparked into life after the restart, the Giants managed to force it to overtime. However, the Panthers eventually got the win thanks to a field goal from placekicker Eddy Piñeiro,
Both teams have made bad starts to the regular season, though. Like the New York Giants, the team from Charlotte had only registered two wins before this encounter, with both franchises going into the game with seven defeats. While the Panthers, who last featured in the Super Bowl in 2015, picked up their second consecutive victory, the Giants are now winless in five.
The gallery from the NFL Game at the Allianz Arena:
Singer Machine Gun Kelly rocks half-time show
But it wasn't just the game itself that the attendees and German NFL fans will remember for a long time. The NFL also provided plenty of attractions around the regular season fixture in Munich: during the half-time break, American singer Machine Gun Kelly warmed up the enthusiastic crowd in the cool autumn weather at the Allianz Arena. The city of Munich has been gripped by NFL fever for days, for example with events on Odeonsplatz and fan meetings in renowned pubs in the Bavarian city.
fcbayern.com spoke beforehand to two fans from the two franchises, who also share a love for the German record champions:
Of course, the Bayern players, fresh from their 1-0 win at FC St. Pauli on Saturday, also didn't miss the opportunity to follow the game live at the stadium. As well as Manuel Neuer, Alphonso Davies and Jamal Musiala, Leroy Sané, Raphaël Guerreiro, Eric Dier and Leon Goretzka were also in attendance. Captain Neuer was given a special honour: he got to beat the legendary drum of the Panthers before kick-off. Numerous women's and basketball players from Bayern also watched on from the stands.
Jamal Musiala praises 'great atmosphere'
"The atmosphere is great," said Musiala in an interview with broadcaster NFL Network ahead of kick-off. "When we play here, the fans create an incredible atmosphere. You want to show the fans everything you can to win the game. I'm sure it will get very loud here today," added Saturday's match-winner. Deputy CEO of Bayern, Michael Diederich, stressed that the club is proud of the partnership with the NFL: "The stadium was sold out within a short space of time. The whole city looks forward to this game."
Ball for helmet: (from left) Roger Goodell, commissioner of the NFL, Michael Diederich, deputy CEO of FC Bayern, Kristi Coleman, president of the Carolina Panthers and Jan-Christian Dreesen, CEO of FC Bayern, exchange gifts before the start of the match.
Along with CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen, Diederich took receipt of gifts from the two NFL franchises ahead of the start of the match. In return, the Bayern officials also handed over presents to the owners of the New York Giants, John Mara and Steve Tisch, as well as NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and Kristi Coleman, president of the Carolina Panthers.
The Giants and the Panthers trained at Säbener Straße and the Campus ahead of the NFL Munich Game:
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