Bayern Munich has ten consecutive Bundesliga titles and wants to get the 11th as soon as possible. As is customary in Germany, the reigning champions opened the season with the opening match and, as is customary too, the Bavarians overcame their rival. But this time they have done it without one of the hallmarks of the Munich team, a nine. Eintracht Frankfurt was the first victim of Nagelsmann’s renewed steamroller, who won 1-6, 0-5 at half-time, playing as if the title had been decided on the first day of the championship.
1
Trapp, Tuta (Makoto Hasebe, min. 81), Almamy Touré, Obite Ndicka, Rode (Kristijan Jakic, min. 45), Ansgar Knauff, Filip Kostic (Faride Alidou, min. 74), Djibril Sow, Jesper Lindstrom (Christopher Lenz , min. 45), Götze and Santos Borré (Randal Kolo Muani, min. 45)
6
Neuer, Lucas (Matthijs de Ligt, min. 81), Dayotchanculle Upamecano, Benjamin Pavard (Noussair Mazraoui, min. 81), Alphonso Davies, Müller (Sane, min. 64), M. Sabitzer (Ryan Gravenberch, min. 56) , Joshua Kimmich, Jamal Musiala, Mane and Gnabry (Mathys Tel, min. 64)
goals 0-1 min. 4: Joshua Kimmich. 0-2 min. 9: Benjamin Pavard. 0-3 min. 28: Man. 0-4 min. 34: Jamal Musiala. 0-5 min. 42: Gnabri. 1-5 min. 63: Randal Kolo Muani. 1-6 min. 82: Jamal Musiala.
Referee Deniz Aytekin
Yellow cards Obite Ndicka (min. 58) and Filip Kostic (min. 70)
Bayern have collected nines flashy throughout his recent history, and now he finds himself without a player who can act as a reference after Lewandowski’s departure. But the Munich team has learned to fly with the vertigo of Mané and Gnabry, riding wildly across the attack front at a crazy speed for the Eintracht defenders. With Musiala in midfield, Nagelsmann’s men gain verticality and continue to function like a perfectly oiled machine. The Europa League champions, who at their stadium have proven to be one of the toughest bones in the Bundesliga, were dismembered from the start of the game and left a very worrying image for their coach ahead of the European Super Cup against Real Madrid, next Wednesday.
When the smoke from the flares of the Eintracht ultras in the stands had not yet dissipated, Kimmich opened the scoring festival. Taking advantage of the fact that there was only one player in the barrier, he launched a hurried free kick to the post that Trapp did not see in time, perhaps because the bottom of the stadium was still covered by a whitish smoke. Moments later, Pavard scored the second by crushing, after three shots in the area. It was minute ten and only the first drops of the storm that was to come had fallen.
Eintracht, faithful to its proposal of being an aggressive team that looks for its rival in its field, made the mistake of leaving a meadow behind its defenses, the preferred habitat of the swift Bavarian predators. After half an hour, Mané, who had sent a ball to the post, opened his scoring account in the Bundesliga, and Musiala and Gnabry left the game over at halftime. Neuer teamed up with the locals to provide a bit of excitement in the second half. First, he missed looking for an aerial ball and the referee saved him by disallowing the goal for offside. But he once again sinned by trusting, and gave the honor to Muani with an exit to no man’s land. The goal buoyed the home crowd, but the game was far from over.
Nagelsmann took advantage of the placidity of the scoreboard to bring out his bench full of stars like Sané, or the signings of this summer, De Ligt, Gravenberch, Mathys Tel and Mazraoui. The Bavarians seemed stuffed and satisfied, but Musiala insisted that the last goal of the match away from Bayern and signed his brace seven minutes from time. One more year, the Bundesliga starts with Bayern going strong, although this time without a giant with the nine on his back.
Arsenal saves the premiere in the Premier
The 30th edition of the Premier League, the most popular national championship in Europe, also kicked off this Friday with Arsenal’s victory on their visit to Crystal Palace, coached by legend gunner Patrick Vieira. Mikel Arteta’s men achieved the first three points of the season in a hard-fought and long-suffering game, in which Ramsdale saved his men several times. In their fight to return to the Champions League, the gunners they have formed an almost youthful front with Gabriel Jesus, Saka and Martinelli, leaving the controls of the ship to Odegaard, the team captain.
It was precisely Martinelli who scored the first goal of the season in the Premier in the first half after a play on the board in which Zinchenko returned a ball to the heart of the area that seemed to be going to limbo. From then on, the meeting became a visit to the dentist for those from Arteta, suffocated by the pressure of the locals. The tie appeared on a couple of occasions, but Ramsdale was the man of the day.
With Crystal Palace upended, Arsenal settled the match five minutes from time with a run into space by Saka, whose cross was sent into the back of his own goal by centre-back Guehi. Arsenal fans then began to sing in the stands, celebrating their team’s provisional lead. Optimism is through the roof in North London this season.
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