March 06, (THEWILL) – Bayern Munich defeated Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League round of 16 tie, marking the first victory over Xabi Alonso’s team since the Spanish manager took charge of the German side.
Harry Kane opened the scoring within nine minutes, ending his five-match goal drought by connecting with Michael Olise’s cross from the right flank. Leverkusen nearly equalised when Dayot Upamecano gifted possession to Jeremie Frimpong, but Manuel Neuer denied the makeshift forward in a one-on-one situation.
The lead doubled after the interval when Leverkusen goalkeeper Matej Kovar misjudged Joshua Kimmich’s delivery, allowing Jamal Musiala to tap into an empty net. Matters worsened for the visitors when Nordi Mukiele received a second yellow card for a foul on Kingsley Coman, leaving them with ten men for the final portion of the match.
Kane completed his brace from the penalty spot after Edmond Tapsoba was penalised for a foul on the England striker, who now boasts 17 Champions League goals since joining Bayern—more than any other player during that period. The visitors ultimately focused on damage limitation in the closing stages, preventing further additions to the scoreline.
Leverkusen face an uphill battle in the return fixture, needing to replicate their 3-0 victory at the BayArena from 12 months ago to force extra time. Bayern, meanwhile, carry both a substantial advantage and a 10-match unbeaten run into the second leg of this all-German European encounter.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
