Bayern Munich tightened their grip on the Bundesliga title race with a dramatic 4-3 victory over Holstein Kiel on Saturday, surviving a late scare at the Allianz Arena.
The Bavarians appeared to be cruising to an emphatic win after racing to a 4-0 lead, with England captain Harry Kane bagging a brace alongside goals from Jamal Musiala and Serge Gnabry. However, a stunning late resurgence from Kiel nearly turned the match on its head, as Finn Porath pulled one back before Steven Skrzybski netted twice in stoppage time, setting up a tense finale.
As the final whistle blew, Bayern players and fans alike breathed a collective sigh of relief.
“None of us are happy with the way we won,” admitted Musiala, who opened the scoring with a brilliant team goal. “We have to maintain focus for the full 90 minutes and not allow lapses like this.”
Bayern head coach Vincent Kompany echoed the frustration, criticizing his team’s drop in intensity.
“It was a complete performance until the 80th minute,” Kompany said. “We dominated, but Kiel fought for every moment, and we need to analyze why we let them back into the game.”
Despite the nervy finish, Bayern capitalized on the opportunity to widen the gap between themselves and second-placed Bayer Leverkusen, who play Hoffenheim on Sunday.
The reigning champions struck first in the 19th minute with a fluid attacking move. Joshua Kimmich, Michael Olise, and Musiala combined in a series of slick passes before the German midfielder slotted home his 10th Bundesliga goal of the season.
Kane doubled Bayern’s lead in the 34th minute with a clinical finish before adding his second from the penalty spot early in the second half. Gnabry’s composed strike made it 4-0, seemingly sealing the points before Kiel’s late fireworks threatened to unravel Bayern’s dominance.
Although the Bavarians escaped with all three points, Kompany will undoubtedly demand a more disciplined performance as the title race heats up.
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