Bayern Munich staged a thrilling second-half comeback to defeat Sporting CP 3-1 in the Champions League on Tuesday, climbing to second place in the league phase table and boosting their hopes of a top-eight finish.
The match at Allianz Arena began with Bayern dominating possession but falling behind early in the second half. Lennart Karl thought he had opened the scoring in the fifth minute with a curling effort, only for it to be disallowed due to an offside by Serge Gnabry in the build-up.
Bayern pressed relentlessly, with Rui Silva denying Gnabry and Harry Kane striking the post, while Manuel Neuer made a crucial reflex save to prevent Jonathan Tah from scoring an own goal.
Sporting stunned the home crowd nine minutes after the restart when Joshua Kimmich inadvertently turned João Simões’ cross into his own net from close range, giving the visitors a 1-0 lead.
Bayern’s response was swift and decisive. In the 65th minute, an unmarked Serge Gnabry volleyed home Michael Olise’s corner to equalize.
Just four minutes later, 17-year-old Lennart Karl collected Konrad Laimer’s pass and fired past Silva at the near post to put Bayern ahead.
Karl, scoring for the third consecutive Champions League game, became the youngest player since the 1992-93 season (at 17 years and 290 days) to achieve this feat.
Jonathan Tah sealed the victory in the 77th minute, finishing first-time after Gnabry headed Joshua Kimmich’s cross back across goal.
Karl was the standout performer, leading Bayern with five shots, three key passes, three successful dribbles, and six duels won, stats surpassed only by Olise in chance creation.
The teenage sensation has now netted against Club Brugge, Arsenal, and Sporting, marking his emergence on Europe’s elite stage.
The result extended Bayern’s remarkable unbeaten home record in the Champions League league phase to 37 matches (35 wins, 2 draws) since 2013.
Bouncing back from their recent loss to Arsenal, Vincent Kompany’s side delivered a deserved victory, showcasing resilience and youthful brilliance.
