Munich's Harry Kane celebrates after scoring the 3-1 from the penalty spot during the UEFA Champions League Group A soccer match between FC Bayern Munich and Manchester United in Munich, Germany, 20 September 2023. EFE-EPA/Anna Szilagyi

Bayern beat Man. U in Champions League goal festival, Madrid edge Union

Sports Desk, Sep 21 (EFE).- Bayern Munich beat Manchester United 4-3 on Wednesday in a match full of changes and in which the two teams were clearly better in attack than in defense, where they conceded advantages which led to a festival of goals.

Munich's Leon Goretzka reacts after the UEFA Champions League Group A soccer match between FC Bayern Munich and Manchester United in Munich, Germany, 20 September 2023. EFE-EPA/Anna Szilagyi

The start did not seem promising for Bayern, who suffered from United’s high pressure and in the 5th minute needed Sven Ullreich who reacted with a good save to a shot by Eriksen.

Union Berlin players greet their fans after the UEFA Champions League group C soccer match between Real Madrid and Union Berlin, in Madrid, central Spain, 20 September 2023. EFE/ Rodrigo Jimenez

Bayern had no control, could not string together long possessions and made many wrong passes. However, two lethal blows were enough to put the match in their favor.

The first came in the 27th minute. Leroy Sane put a ball into the area to Harry Kane who touched it behind so that Sane himself unleashed a shot from about 20 meters that ended up in the back of the net after hitting Onana’s body.

The second came from an individual play by Jamal Musiala who sneaked into the area, removing three men from him and put the ball to Serge Gnabry who appeared free to score with his left foot.

Bayern had shown little else, but the two goals had an impact on United, who continued searching for the opposing area and had some good approaches, but no longer seemed as threatening as they had been in the first minutes.

In the 45th minute, Bayern came close to the third with a shot from Sane that passed near the post, but at the beginning of the second half United had a reaction, seemed to recover the spirit of the first few minutes of the game and even scored through Holjund in the 49th minute.

Bayern had an almost immediate reaction. First with a good chance from Musiala in the 50th minute and then reestablishing a two-goal advantage, with a penalty converted by Harry Kane in the 54th minute that had been sanctioned after consulting the VAR images for a handball inside the area.

After the third goal, United seemed knocked out and Bayern had enough chances to score the fourth. The best was a shot on the post by Sane in the 56th minute. Then Onana reacted with good saves to shots by Kane, Sane and Choupo Moting.

But a match that seemed settled ended up having drama. In the 87th minute, when Bayern seemed to be limiting themselves to letting the ball and the minutes run, Casemiro appeared with a shot from the floor inside the area.

Bayern then began to find the fourth and found it, in the 92nd minute through Mathys Tel who defined inside the area with a good pass from Joshua Kimmich. Before, from Tel’s center, Thomas Muller had crashed a shot against the post.

In the last play of the match, United scored again with a header from Casemiro from a free kick taken from the left by Bruno Fernandes.

In London, Arsenal ran out comfortable winners against PSV Eindhoven and began their campaign in style, with goals from Saka, Trossard, Jesus and Odegaard. The locals never looked troubled by the Dutch side in an easy first outing.

At the Santiago Bernabeu, Real Madrid left it extremely late to seal a victory with a lone goal in the 94th minute by Jude Bellingham against Union Berlin, who pressured the former champions time and again without anything to show for it. EFE

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