Harry Kane emerged as the difference-maker as his penalty sank Borussia Monchengladbach to ensure a slender 1-0 win for Bayern Munich on Saturday.
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Bayern snatch gritty win against MonchengladbachKane scored to ensure the three pointsBavarians maintain a four-point lead over LeverkusenFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportTELL ME MORE
Vincent Kompany's men looked rusty in their first 45 minutes of Bundesliga action in 2025 as they returned after a brief winter break. They enjoyed most of the possession and kept probing at goal, but a decisive final ball to unlock a gritty Monchengladbach defence remained elusive.
Although Thomas Muller found himself in a one-on-one situation with Moritz Nicolas, the forward could only hit straight at the goalkeeper from close range. In the 37th minute, Bayern players surrounded referee Felix Zwayer for a handball on Ko Itakura after the defender raised his hands to save his face from getting hit, but the official immediately turned down their appeals.
After the break, the hosts came out with more ambition and instead of just being reactive, Monchengladbach took the game to their more illustrious opponents. In the 56th minute, Tim Kleindienst found himself unmarked inside the box, but the striker failed to hit the target after connecting to a cross.
Kompany reacted to the scare quickly, bringing on Kingsley Coman in place of Muller. The substitute had an immediate impact as he sent in a cross towards Michael Olise near the far post, but the former Crystal Palace was pushed from behind by Lukas Ullrich as he tried to control the ball, resulting in a penalty. Kane stepped up from 12 yards and calmly slotted the ball past the keeper to ease the nerves on Bayern bench.
It was a crucial three points for the leaders as it helped them restore the four-point lead over second-placed Bayer Leverkusen, after Xabi Alonso's men cut it down to just one after winning against Borussia Dortmund on Friday.
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Cometh the hour, cometh the man! Kane was a rather anonymous figure in attack until the decisive moment when he put Bayern in front from the spot. The Bavarians were struggling to create goal scoring opportunities but the England skipper ensured that he sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to score and ensure an important victory away from home.
THE BIG LOSER
Monchengladbach were doing a fine job after the restart but Ullrich's brain fade moment proved to be costly as it handed Bayern a golden opportunity to get their noses in front. After taking the lead, there was no looking back for the record champions as they saw out the game to seal the three points.
WHAT COMES NEXT?
After a winning start to 2025, Bayern will be back in action against Hoffenheim on next Wednesday.
