Bayern turn attentions to Real Madrid quarter-final after Atalanta victory

The Champions League round of 16 second leg against Atalanta was more a test of character for Bayern. Having won the first leg 6-1 in Bergamo, they had to regroup and refocus for the return game at the Allianz Arena, ensuring they didn’t let up or lose their rhythm in a season that promises to be so special. They succeeded and in some style, producing a 4-1 win that left the Italian side barely a sniff of a chance of a historic comeback. On top of the manner of the victory, there were two senior debuts, a milestone goal and an all-round entertaining night of European football in Munich.

“When you go into a match like this with a lead like we did, there’s sometimes a risk of becoming a bit complacent,” said Harry Kane after the final whistle. “But we said before the game that we wanted to approach this match and win it in exactly the same way as the first leg. So huge credit to the guys and their motivation.” When it comes to the quarter-finals in early April, however, Bayern will face a completely different calibre of opposition in the form of record Champions League winners Real Madrid.

Bayern remain focused in test of character

Vincent Kompany answered one of the key questions of this second leg with his team sheet. After an unprecedented run of injury misfortune in the goalkeeping department, Jonas Urbig had recovered in time from the concussion he sustained in the first leg, meaning the number two could take his place between the posts. With Michael Olise and Joshua Kimmich suspended, Lennart Karlstarted up front and Leon Goretzka, making his 300th competitive appearance for Bayern, played in midfield. Kompany also kept Dayot Upamecano and Konrad Laimer, both a yellow card away from a suspension of their own, on the bench for the full 90 minutes. Minjae Kim and Tom Bischof took their places. And given the magnitude of the result in Italy eight days earlier, thoughts were naturally already turning towards a quarter-final against Real Madrid, who had beaten Manchester City the night before.

However, Bayern still needed to ensure they didn’t leave themselves exposed against Atalanta. The visitors had learnt from their defeat in the first leg and, as was evident from the very first whistle, were no longer running into a trap this time. Instead of the aggressive, high-intensity and courageous man-to-man pressing across the whole pitch seen in the first leg, Raffaele Palladino’s side opted this time for a defensive approach. Sitting deep in their own half, La Dea attempted to close down the spaces with a defensive back five, with four defensive midfielders lining up in front of them. It seemed the main plan was simply not to let themselves be overrun again, and above all not to concede any early goals. Because that was exactly what Bayern were out to do once more. “The coach made it clear to us that we had to go full gas, and I think we showed that on the pitch,” Bischof revealed.

Bayern push against Atalanta rearguard

Whilst the visitors’ attacking approach had proved their undoing in the first leg, their defensive tactics soon threatened to become a problem in the return fixture. Bayern dictated the play at will and created chance after chance. After just 15 minutes, the hosts had already played 130 more passes than Atalanta, had five shots on goal and, with almost 80 percent possession, were completely in control of the game. “As a team, we managed to pin the opposition back for another 90 minutes, create chances and play dominantly,” said Urbig. It soon became evident to the visiting fans in the upper tier, who had travelled with the team and were singing bravely, that it was only a matter of time before the favourites would strike again. And strike they did, from the penalty spot.

Surprisingly, however, it took Kane two attempts from the spot to make it 1–0. On his first, which was saved, Atalanta goalkeeper Marco Sportiello had come off his line too early, so his stop meant little as Kane converted the second time. It was the third time that the striker had opened the scoring for Bayern in the Champions League season and was the team’s 11th shot of the match with only 25 minutes played.

It was hard to fault the visitors; they defended as best they could but were unlucky that, in front of 75,000 spectators, Bayern actually took the match as seriously as they had repeatedly stated they would. The Reds went in for slide tackles, sprinted, headed and fought tooth and nail throughout the encounter. At no point did you get the impression that, given their seemingly unassailable lead, Kompany’s side would switch to a defensive mode. On the contrary. Enthusiasm and passion dominated the proceedings. Even Urbig had to show his class shortly before half-time to deny a close-range attempt by Mario Pasalic. And his teammates, of course, displayed technical finesse, even though the further goals were to come after the break. “It’s not easy to go into a game like this with that scoreline and still give it your all,” admitted Kompany. “We wanted to put on a show for the fans as well.”

Kane scores again and Bayern keep going

They did just that, going on to score three goals in 16 minutes. First, Kane demonstrated his exceptional ability to net his 50th Champions League goal, skilfully shaking off defenders Isak Hien and Kamaldeen Sulemana with a spin before firing a first-time shot into the top corner. The striker’s 10th Champions League goal of the campaign in the 54th minute was also his 47th goal across all competitions in 39 matches this season – not only a personal record for Kane in professional football, but also a class of its own across Europe. His 29 goals in 34 Champions League matches for Bayern also make him the highest scorer in the competition since the start of the 2023/24 season.

After 18-year-old debutant Deniz Ofli, who had come on as a substitute moments earlier, won the ball, Luis Díaz played it on to Karl, who finished on his left foot to make it 3-0 and become the second-youngest Bayern player to score in a Champions League knockout tie at 18 years and 24 days, behind Jamal Musiala, who had netted against Lazio at the age of 17 years and 363 days. And Karl wasn’t done there. The youngster conjured up a superb ball over the top for Díaz, who ultimately put it away for his fourth Champions League goal of the season, a delicate chip over the Atalanta goalkeeper to make it 4-0. A goal similar to the second in its elegance.

Rising stars and records

The final highlight from Bayern’s perspective came when the head coach brought on Filip Pavić, the second-youngest debutant in the club’s history after Paul Wanner. Pavić, born in 2010, only turned 16 on 19 January this year. “It just shows that the coach trusts us and that our performances in training are paying off. We’re absolutely delighted that more and more young players are getting their chance,” said Bischof.

Attentions turn to huge clash

In the end, it was almost as if no one even noticed that Atalanta had managed to make it 4-1 from a corner. “We’ve scored 10 goals across both games, so you have to put that into perspective to some extent,” Urbig agreed. By now, however, their thoughts were already on the quarter-final and the huge clash against Real Madrid. “We’ll be ready. We’re not afraid of anyone,” Kane promised. “We know it’ll be tough, but with the confidence from this match and from the season so far, we just have to carry on exactly as we are.”

Bischof added: “We’re not afraid of anyone. I think it’s going to be a cracking battle.” Before the head coach called it a night, he too spoke about their next opponents: “Who’s the better team at the moment isn’t really the most important thing,” said Kompany. “These clubs have such a rich history, and the quality on the pitch will be something truly special. It’s often the case with Real that the higher the level, the better they get. That’s why I’m expecting an absolutely top-class match.” CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen also revealed that he is already looking forward to the encounter: “Bayern versus Real Madrid is an epic clash. Let’s see what happens. We’ve been knocked out in the last knockout ties against them, often unluckily. It’s time for things to change and for us to reach the semi-finals.”

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