Champions League 2023-24: Bayern survives Galatasaray pressure, wins 3-1

Bayern striker Harry Kane scored in the 73rd minute and Jamal Musiala added another six minutes later to snap their opponents’ 23-match unbeaten run across all competitions.

Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala (left) celebrates scoring his team’s third goal with Harry Kane (right) during the UEFA Champions League match against Galatasaray in Istanbul on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

Bayern Munich soaked up intense pressure from Galatasaray for more than 70 minutes before striking twice to carve out a 3-1 victory on Tuesday that kept it firmly top of its Champions League Group A.

The Bavarians, top on nine points, with the Turks in second on four, unusually found themselves on the back foot with Galatasaray carving out 20 attacks to their six with the two sides locked at 1-1 after goals in the opening half hour.

However, Bayern striker Harry Kane scored in the 73rd minute and Jamal Musiala added another six minutes later to snap their opponents’ 23-match unbeaten run across all competitions.

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The Turks, brimming with confidence from their win at Manchester United in the previous matchday, showed no signs of nerves against their more illustrious opponents and had a chance with Mauro Icardi after four minutes.

The visitors silenced the fiery home crowd with Kingsley Coman rifling in for the lead in the eighth minute. Goalkeeper Sven Ulreich, however, had to come to the rescue only a minute later, spectacularly palming a Kerem Akturkoglu shot wide.

In a frantic first half, Akturkoglu then missed a golden chance to level when Ulreich cleared a cutback into his path but the 25-year-old fired over the bar with the keeper beaten.

The hosts’ pressure, however, paid off in the 30th when Icardi was brought down in the box. The Argentine coolly chipped his Panenka-style penalty into the middle of the goal as Ulreich dived to the side.

In an equally pacy start to the second half, the Turks had the lion’s share of chances once more with Bayern defending desperately.

The hosts, however, started running out of steam after failing to score again and Bayern grew in confidence, with Kane attempting to flick in with a backheel before slotting in on the rebound in the 73rd.

That goal unlocked the game for Bayern, which was missing several players through injury, and it added another with Musiala to seal its hard-earned win.

It is now unbeaten in a competition-record 37 straight Champions League group stage matches.