Lennart Karl and Konrad Laimer fire Bayern Munich to UEFA Champions League in Madrid
Second-half goals from Lennart Karl and Konrad Laimer proved the difference away to Atlético Madrid as Bayern Munich returned to winning ways in the UEFA Champions League.
Atlético 0-2 Bayern Munich
Goals: 0-1 Karl 54', 0-2 Laimer 74' (assist: Kane)
Before kick-off, players and spectators inside the Riyadh Air Metropolitano observed a minute's silence in memory of Jesús de Miguel, who died after being injured in a Spanish second-division match. Diego Simeone made three changes to the side that had beaten Deportivo, bringing in Giuliano Simeone, Robin Le Normand and Alexander Sørloth.
Bayern's interim coach Aaron Danks made five changes, with Manuel Neuer, Jonathan Tah, Josip Stanišić, Lennart Karl and Tom Bischof all starting, as Ismael Saibari and Serge Gnabry were unavailable through injury.
Cagey first half
Atlético started brightly, with Julián Álvarez cutting inside and firing narrowly wide inside two minutes. Bayern gradually took control of possession, and Lennart Karl was played clear by Upamecano and Kane but shot just over.
Stanišić also saw a low effort blocked and a long-range strike drift wide, while Harry Kane narrowly failed to connect with a Laimer cross. The sides went in level at the break with the score at 0-0.
Karl and Laimer settle it
Bayern began the second half on top, with Joshua Kimmich forcing a save from Oblak before being booked in the 57th minute. The breakthrough came in the 54th minute when Le Normand's slow clearance let Karl nip in and lift the ball over the advancing goalkeeper for the opening goal. Simeone responded with a triple substitution, sending on Koke, Ademola Lookman and Kangin Lee for Le Normand, Sørloth and Álex Baena.
Bayern close out the win
Upamecano then struck the crossbar from distance before Kane found Laimer in space inside the box; the full-back drilled his shot beyond Oblak to make it 2-0 in the 74th minute. Late on, a header from Upamecano that beat Oblak was ruled out for a foul, and substitute Dávid Hancko fired over in stoppage time as Bayern held on for the win.
The defending Bundesliga champions are now unbeaten in four league-phase matches, and up to eight points in the standings, ahead of a trip to Lille on 25 November.
