Hardly anyone expected Bayern to progress so confidently in the Champions League. Double winners Leverkusen were clearly shown their limits.
12.03.2025, 08:33
dpa
No time? blue Sport summarizes for you
- Leverkusen, who also lost their home game against Bayern Munich 2-0, would have needed a great comeback to bring excitement to the Bundesliga duel against Bayern Munich.
- But Munich, who won 3-0 in the first leg, controlled proceedings in Leverkusen. Harry Kane and Alphonso Davies scored after the break to set up a reunion between Bayern Munich and Yann Sommer in the quarter-finals.
- Joshua Kimmich and Robert Andrich spoke to blue Sport about the clash after the game.
After the impressive demonstration of power in the German Champions League clash against Bayer Leverkusen, the Bayern Munich footballers danced as one in front of the visiting fan curve. With a 2:0 win at the German double winners, the Bundesliga leaders secured their place in the quarter-finals with unexpected ease on Tuesday.
The Leverkusen professionals, on the other hand, sank to the ground in frustration after their second defeat against Bayern in a week. Without their injured soccer artist Florian Wirtz, the German champions had no chance at all, just as they had in the 3-0 defeat in the first leg. The longed-for football miracle failed to materialize.
Mortgage from the first leg too great
The 3-0 defeat in the first leg and the absence of their best player Wirtz due to injury weighed too heavily on coach Xabi Alonso's side. Goal scorer Harry Kane (52nd minute) and Alphonso Davies (71st) made another commanding Bayern victory perfect.
It was also important for us that we didn't just concentrate on defending today, said Joshua Kimmich in an interview with blue Sport. Robert Andrich also admits that the game was over after Davies' goal: "The 2:0 was a real damper."
The German international praised his opponent's mature performance: "That's also what characterizes a top team, that they don't just manage in those moments, but simply play forward."
Now it's time for Bayern against Inter's summer
Was Bayern's demonstration of power also a bit of revenge for last season against Leverkusen? "Not that," said Kimmich. But the 30-year-old admits: "Of course you read a bit about Leverkusen before the games, that they said they wished for us and cheered when the draw was made. So it was important today that we were also able to win the second game."
In April, Bayern will continue on their way to the title against Inter Milan. That will also be a reunion with Yann Sommer, their most recent champion keeper. "Now the season starts, now it's crunch time," said Kimmich.
This means that this season's duel with Leverkusen has been decided in Bayern's favor. Coach Vincent Kompany's team not only won the German Champions League duel by a surprisingly clear margin in the end. Munich are also marching towards their 34th championship in the league with an eight-point lead over Bayer with nine games remaining. At least Bayer kept the upper hand in the DFB Cup (1:0 win in the quarter-finals).
