Compared with the 4-1 win at Eintracht Frankfurt head coach Xabi Alonso made four changes to his starting line-up: Matej Kovar, Piero Hincapie, Exequiel Palacios and Amine Adli replaced Lukas Hradecky, Aleix Garcia, Nathan Tella and Patrik Schick (all on the bench) in the starting XI.
After an opening phase of the game with several interruptions due to fouls by both sides, FC Bayern took the lead with the first chance of the game: Harry Kane scored with a header from a Michael Olise cross (9’). At the other end, Manuel Neuer parried a shot from Jeremie Frimpong five minutes later as he was through in a one-on-one. The game was then evenly balanced with initially no further chances for either team. FC Bayern's Joshua Kimmich tried a long-range effort after the half-hour mark and then the final phase of the first half saw increasing intensity in challenges – including angry exchanges and bookings. The flow of the game suffered and Leverkusen went into half-time 1-0 down.
The second half began with a blow to the Werkself: A cross from Kimmich slipped through Kovar's hands leaving Jamal Musiala with the tap-in from close range to put FC Bayern 2-0 up (55'). Before the game could restart after the goal, the FCB keeper Neuer went off injured and he was replaced by winter signing Jonas Urbig making his debut for FC Bayern (58'). Just after the hour mark, referee Michael Oliver showed Nordi Mukiele a second yellow card after a foul on Kingsley Coman – the Leverkusen player was sent off as a result (61').
Ten minutes later Oliver was called to the video screen and he awarded a penalty after substitute Edmond Tapsoba was adjudged to have held onto Kane from a FC Bayern corner. Kane calmly slotted the penalty into the top right corner (75'). The start of the final phase of the game saw Alonso substitute players on a booking in Frimpong, Granit Xhaka and Florian Wirtz (80’). With the exception of a shot against the bar from Joao Palhinha in added time not much happened in front of either goal so that the first leg ended in a 3-0 defeat for the Werkself.
The next game for the Werkself is in the Bundesliga with a home fixture against Werder Bremen. The kick-off on Saturday, 8 March is at 15:30 CET. That is followed three days later by the Round of 16 second leg against FC Bayern on Tuesday, 11 March (kick-off: 21:00 CET). The final match before the international break is an away game at VfB Stuttgart (Sunday, 16 March, 19:30 CET).
Match stats:
FC Bayern: Neuer (Urbig 58') - Laimer (Stanisic 68'), Upamecano, Kim (Dier 89'), Davies - Kimmich, Goretzka (Palhinha 89') - Olise, Musiala, Coman (Sané 68') - Kane
Bayer 04: Kovar - Mukiele, Tah, Hermoso, Hincapie - Frimpong (Arthur 80'), Palacios, Xhaka (Garcia 80'), Grimaldo (Buendía 87’) - Wirtz (Schick 80') - Adli (Tapsoba 68’)
Goals: 1-0 Kane (9’), 2-0 Musiala (55’), 3-0 Kane (75’)
Yellow cards: Laimer, Goretzka - Tapsoba, Tah
Red cards: Mukiele
Referee: Michael Oliver (England)
Attendance: 75,000 (sold out) at the Football Arena Munich
Anticipation continually mounts with Bayer 04 back in Champions League action after just over a month. And this round brings the German versus German clash against FC Bayern. Ahead of the first leg in Munich on Wednesday, 5 March (kick-off: 21:00 CET), head coach Xabi Alonso and Granit Xhaka talked about the approach to the first Champions League meeting with the record champions.
Show moreFC Bayern have several things to celebrate at the moment. All is going well for the league leaders on the pitch with a difficult away game in Stuttgart won at the weekend. And the record champions have extended the contracts of some key players. So there was a good atmosphere recently at the celebrations of the 125th anniversary of FCB. Bayern Munich will be in confident mood ahead of the first leg in the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League at home to Bayer 04 on Wednesday, 5 March (kick-off: 21:00 CET).
Show moreThe Werkself are away to Bayern Munich in the first leg of the Round of 16 in the UEFA Champions league 2024/25. The match is on Wednesday, 5 March (kick-off: 21:00 CET). The Bayer 04 Fan Liaison team bring you the latest information on the fixture…
Show moreA special honour for Bayer 04: After the most successful season in the club's history with the winning of the double in Germany and the Supercup, the Werkself have been nominated for the 25th Laureus World Sports Awards 2025 in the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year category. The selection was made by a committee made up of over 1,000 leading sports media worldwide. The Laureus World Sports Awards are the most prestigious awards in sport worldwide. The awards ceremony for the announcement of this year's winners in the different categories will be held in Madrid on 21 April.
Show more