Bayern Munich defeated Werder Bremen. South Korea international center back Kim Min-Jae made his league debut and Harry Kane had a goal and an assist.
Munich cruised to a 4-0 victory over Bremen in the opening match of the first round of the 2023-24 German Bundesliga at the Weserstadion in Bremen, Germany, at 3:30 a.m. ET.
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Getty Images
Photo: Getty Images
[Match point] Munich misses out on DFB Super Cup as ‘Kim-Min-Jae-X-Kane’ bolsters squad
Last season, Munich narrowly missed out on the Meisterschaft (German Bundesliga title). The Bavarians were crowned champions after knocking off Dortmund in the final game of the season. This would not have been possible without Mainz, led by Lee Jae-sung, catching Dortmund.
A desperate Munich and Thomas Tuchel have been busy in the transfer market, with the first signing being Italian center back Kim Min-jae. Despite competition from the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea, and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), the Bavarians were one of the last to enter the race to sign the player.
Coach Thomas Tuchel was serious. When the signing was officially announced, he said: “I’m very happy that Kim Min-jae has joined us. He’s a good person, in perfect condition and ready to play. I am very happy that he has decided to stay with us. He is a great signing. It wasn’t a problem to give him more time off, but I didn’t want to. It shows how professional and focused he is.” When he arrived at the training center in Tegernsee, he high-fived and hugged Kim, saying, “It’s great to see you!” and gave him a special message of support, saying, “I’m really, really happy to see you!” and “You’re going to do great, I promise!”.온라인카지노
Next up was striker Kane. After parting ways with Robert Lewandowski, Munich brought in Sadio Mane, but struggled for goals. As a result, they signed Kane in a blockbuster deal after nearly two months of negotiations with Tottenham Hotspur.
“It’s been a long process, but I’m delighted that Kane is now wearing a Munich shirt. He’s been a dream player for us from the start. He fits perfectly into our Munich DNA. A world-class center forward has always been an important element for Munich. We are confident that Kane will help us achieve that success.” Kane added: “I’m delighted to be part of Munich, it’s one of the biggest clubs in the world. I have always said throughout my career that I want to compete at the highest level and prove myself. This club is defined by its winning mentality. It feels really good to be here in Munich,” he smiled.
Expectations were high for the Bavarians after their reinforcements, but they quickly turned to disappointment. The 0-3 defeat in the DFB Super Cup against Leipzig was a disappointment. Kim and Kane started the game from the bench, but were already down two goals in the first half. Both players were substituted at the start of the second half, but were unable to turn the tide.
According to global outlet ESPN, Kane said after the DFB Super Cup: “I’ll do my best to learn (German), but it’s definitely really hard. I will try to fit in as culturally as possible and learn German to get to know the fans. But ultimately, I think the most important thing is that the fans want me to play well. If I don’t speak German and I keep scoring goals, I’m sure they won’t be too disappointed. Of course, I want to win every season, and even at Tottenham there was never a time when we weren’t trying to win trophies. It’s not just about trophies, it’s about pushing yourself to be at a club like Munich. The pressure is much higher and if you don’t win, you fail. That’s what I’m here for,” he said.
Photo: Bayern Munich
Photo: Bayern Munich
Photo: Werder Bremen
[Starting XI] ‘Kane up top + Kim Min-jae at center back’ makes league debut, Munich’s best lineup to date
And so began the German Bundesliga opener. Munich started with a 4-2-3-1 formation. Kane started up top. Kingsley Coman, Jamal Moussaoui, and Leroy Sane formed the second line. Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich guarded the midfield. The back four was Alfonso Davies, Kim Min-Jae, Dayo Upamecano, and Nusair Mazrawi. Sven Ulreich was in goal.
The hosts, Bremen, lined up in a 3-1-4-2 formation. Up top, Marvin Duchesne and Nicklas Fühlkrug looked to score. Down low, Anthony Jung, Leonardo Wittenkot, Jens Staage, and Mitchell Weiser provided support. Sanne Lin was in charge of the third line. The defense was made up of Marco Friedl, Malkos Velkovic, and Amos Piper. Jiri Pavrenka wore the goalkeeping gloves.
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Photo by Getty Images
PhotoBayern Munich
[First half] Sane’s goal gives Munich a quick lead, and Kim Min-jae is in ‘ironclad mode’
The balance was quickly upset. In the fourth minute of the first half, Kim Min-jae cleared a header off the line. Sane exchanged passes with Kane down the halfway line to break the line. Sane picked up the pace and found himself one-on-one with Kane, who finished cleanly.
Bremen hit back immediately. In the eighth minute, a Duchesne cross from the flank was headed in sharply. Fulkrug raced onto it and rattled the post with a header, but was ruled offside.
The mood was high. Munich pulled the reins in hopes of widening the gap. In the 10th minute, Kane took a bold shot on a short free kick, but it was blocked by the physical defense. In the 19th minute, Mazrawi received a cutback from the center after a flanking comeback, but his shot narrowly missed the target.
Center back Kim Min-jae also helped out. In the 26th minute, he played a long ball from the back to the front and connected accurately with Coman. In the 32nd minute, he raced to the top of the halfway line to stop a Bremen attack. In the 37th minute, he made a bold move into the opponent’s half.
No further goals were scored in the remaining time. In the 44th minute, off a Munich corner kick, Kim Min-jae tried to get a header between the Bremen defense, but it was blocked in front of the keeper. The first half ended with Munich leading 1-0 thanks to their early goal.
Photo: Getty Images
Photo by Getty Images
PhotoBayern Munich
[Second half] Kane ‘1 goal, 1 assist’, Sane ‘multi-goal’ as Bayern crush Werder Bremen…Kim Min-jae 68th minute OUT
There was a dizzying moment at the start of the second half. In the first minute of the second half, Kim Min-jae grabbed an aerial ball and his pass went astray, leading to a Bremen counterattack. Poulkrug’s cutback went between his legs and into the path of Munjeon. His visor was knocked off and he shot wide.
Attacks came and went from both sides. Bremen had a chance in the sixth minute of the second half when Duchesne broke through, but he was denied by the fast-chasing Kim Min-jae and was offside. Kim was shown his first yellow card of the season in the ninth minute of the second half for bringing down Poulkrug. Munich had their best chance of the game in the 12th minute when Coman got on the end of a Davies pass, but his shot hit the right post.
The substitutions were made. Bremen lost Weiser, Linen, and Wittenkotte, followed by Oliver Burke, Christian Gross, and Romano Schmidt. Munich brought on Kim Min-jae and brought on Mathias der Licht. Kim finished his debut after 68 minutes on the pitch.
The gap was widening. In the 29th minute, Davies picked up the pace and overlapped high into the box. His pass was pinpoint to Kane, who ran into the center of the box. Finding space between the defenses, Kane shot for the corner. The ball deflected off Pifer and into the net for a Munich goal.
Munich went for the kill. Goretzka, Musial, Coman, and Kane came off, followed by Konrad Reimer, Thomas Muller, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, and Matthijssel. There was a goal feast just before the end. Sane completed the scoring in the 45th minute after a line break, and Teller added the icing on the cake with a powerful strike to the near post after a cutback in stoppage time. In the end, Munich earned their first win of the season with a four-goal, zero-goal victory over Bremen.
Photo: Sofa Score
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Photo by Getty Images
[Key Player Ratings] Kane in attack, Kim Min-jae in defense, both freshmen perfect
Munich made up for missing out on the DFB Super Cup in style. The Bavarians reaped the rewards of fielding their best lineup and raised expectations. Kane and Sane were the standouts in the attacking third. Kane proved himself as a playmaker and scorer with one goal and one assist. Sane completed his multi-goal performance with a sharp move down the flank in full-time. The soccer stats site Couch Score gives Kane a rating of 8.9 and Sane a rating of 8.6.
One area of concern is injuries. In the 35th minute of the second half, Kane went to the ground and asked for the medical staff, seemingly feeling pain in his calf. It was the aftermath of a busy day in the center and on the flanks, up front and in midfield. However, he didn’t look too bad, so it doesn’t seem like a serious injury.
In the back four, Davis and Kim Min-jae will be the center of attention. Davies used his pace to wreak havoc on the Bremen flank for much of the match, including an assist on Munich’s prized Teller’s goal just before the break. Kim Min-jae made his debut in the opening game of the German Bundesliga. As he did at Napoli, he defended as well as linked up, acting as a starting point for the buildup from the back. The Couch Score gives Davies an 8.2 and Kim a 7.1.
It was an encouraging performance for Kim, who earned a starting spot. Tuchel chose to start Kim Min-jae, Der Licht, and Upamecano at center back today. It was a reflection of their less-than-perfect form during preseason. Kim made a successful debut in a red-hot Bremen match without making a fatal mistake.
Munich got their first win of the season on the opening day. This season, they will not only win their 12th consecutive Bundesliga title, but will also attempt to win a triple treble, a feat that has yet to be accomplished in the history of soccer. The Bavarians welcome Augsburg to the Allianz Arena on Aug. 28 at 0:30 a.m. to continue their winning streak.