UCL : Bayern Munich Dominate Leverkusen In First Leg

Bayern Munich secured a commanding 3-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 clash. Striker Harry Kane led the way, scoring twice to help his team gain a strong advantage ahead of the second leg.

The Bundesliga giants had struggled in their last six meetings against Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen, but they turned things around with an impressive performance. Leverkusen, who are second in the league behind Bayern, endured a night to forget, making costly mistakes and delivering their worst display of the season.

Bayern started the match aggressively and took the lead in the ninth minute when Kane powered a header into the net. Leverkusen had a great chance to equalize soon after, but Jeremie Frimpong was denied by goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who was making his 150th Champions League appearance. Bayern nearly doubled their lead when Jamal Musiala’s header struck the crossbar.

Leverkusen struggled to find their rhythm, and their decision to leave top strikers Victor Boniface and Patrick Schick on the bench proved costly. Bayern extended their lead in the 54th minute after a costly mistake by Leverkusen goalkeeper Matej Kovar. He failed to catch a cross from Joshua Kimmich, allowing Musiala to score an easy goal.

The situation worsened for Leverkusen when Nordi Mukiele was sent off after receiving a second yellow card. With a one-man advantage, Bayern continued to dominate, and Kane sealed the victory with a well-taken penalty in the 75th minute. His brace ended a four-game goal drought, with his last goal coming against Celtic on February 2.

The only setback for Bayern was the injury to Manuel Neuer, who had to be substituted in the 58th minute. Despite this, the German champions will head into the second leg with a comfortable lead. The winner of this tie will face either Feyenoord or Inter Milan in the quarter-finals.

Match Stats