Just a few minutes into the second half, it became clear that Bayern Munich had the upper hand against Bayer Leverkusen. Bayern dominated most of the key stats, particularly in attack, having already taken nine shots compared to Leverkusen’s three and secured a one-goal lead. Bayern’s veteran midfielder, Joshua Kimmich, delivered an outstanding performance, and star forward Harry Kane scored the opening goal within the first nine minutes of the game.
However, in a two-leg matchup, a single goal advantage can be quite fragile. Even if Bayer Leverkusen’s coach, Xabi Alonso, hadn’t started the first leg perfectly, there was still a strong possibility that his talented squad could find a way to recover by the time the second leg concluded next week.
But Leverkusen let that opportunity slip away.
The second half turned into a nightmare for Leverkusen, marked by a series of critical errors. The first mistake occurred in the 54th minute when goalkeeper Matej Kovar seemed ready to catch a shot, making a slight leap and moving his body to the left. Instead, the ball bounced back into the crowded penalty area as soon as it hit his gloves. Jamal Musiala capitalized on the rebound, extending Bayern’s lead to a more comfortable two goals, although many players could have scored in that situation.
The growing sense that Leverkusen faced a daunting challenge to advance intensified as the situation worsened. Just eight minutes after Musiala’s goal, Nordi Mukiele, while chasing Kingsley Coman, made a reckless tackle, catching the back of the Bayern player’s calf with his studs. Mukiele immediately showed remorse, displaying a shocked expression of someone who didn’t intend to commit such a foul but understood the immediate repercussions. The referee issued a second yellow card, sending the defender off the field, and ruling him out of the second leg.
As if things weren’t already dire for Leverkusen, they compounded their errors further. Edmond Tapsoba, who came on as a substitute in the 68th minute, fouled Kane inside the penalty area just four minutes after entering the game, conceding a penalty. Kane, known for his penalty expertise, converted from the spot, scoring his 13th penalty of the season and extending Bayern’s lead to what felt like an insurmountable 3-0.
This sequence of mistakes was an unexpected collapse for Leverkusen, who had reasons for optimism going into the tie. Bayern had shown vulnerabilities several times in this Champions League campaign, including a narrow knockout phase playoff against Celtic. Furthermore, Leverkusen had arguably developed their game plan weeks in advance. Alonso’s team was unlucky to draw 0-0 against Bayern in their previous Bundesliga encounter last month, generating over two expected goals while Bayern failed to register a single shot on target from their two attempts.
Overturning a 3-0 deficit is not entirely impossible for Leverkusen, especially considering Bayern have only managed three clean sheets in their 11 Champions League matches this season. Leverkusen has the talent to put in a strong performance in the return leg. However, even if Florian Wirtz and his teammates are at their best, Bayern has the resilience to withstand a defensive lapse or two. There’s no doubt that the reigning Bundesliga champions are a talented team and deserved their place in the top eight of the league phase. But just a year after their dream season where they won two titles, Leverkusen are now facing the harsh realities of the Champions League and appear destined to learn a tough lesson.
