Bayern Munich 4-0 Club Brugge: Karl makes history as hosts ease to third win

Lennart Karl made Champions League history as Bayern Munich powered to their third straight victory with a 4-0 hammering of Club Brugge.

The Bundesliga champions celebrated head coach Vincent Kompany’s contract extension in style, having never looked back from Karl’s brilliant fifth-minute opener on Wednesday.

Teenager Karl received possession midway into Brugge’s half before dancing past two players and darting forward to bend into the top-left corner for his first goal on his maiden start in the competition.

In doing so, Karl became Bayern’s youngest goalscorer in the Champions League and also the youngest German scorer in the competition, aged only 17 years and 242 days.

A simple tap-in for Harry Kane, who was later denied by the woodwork, then doubled Bayern’s lead just nine minutes later after smart work from Konrad Laimer, before Karl slammed just wide after another mazy run.

Laimer played another part in the third goal, offloading for Luis Diaz to power inside before crashing a thunderous effort past Nordin Jackers and in via the help of the crossbar 11 minutes before half-time.

With an imposing lead, Kompany took the chance to rest key talisman Kane, and his replacement was soon denied as Jackers made a smart save against Nicolas Jackson.

Jackson would not be thwarted once more, though, as he pounced from close range after Laimer’s 79th-minute strike was pushed towards him by Jackers, sealing another emphatic European win for Bayern.

First of many UCL goals for Lucho and Karl! pic.twitter.com/MpDaESC6B9

— FC Bayern (@FCBayernEN) October 22, 2025

Data Debrief: Neuer etches name into Champions League folklore

Bayern have now won their six games against Belgian sides in the European Cup/Champions League by an aggregate scoreline of 16-1.

It also proved a memorable occasion for Manuel Neuer, who moved into fifth in the all-time appearance list in the competition, overtaking Karim Benzema in what was the German’s 153rd outing.

Neuer also overtook Iker Casillas (101) for the most victories by a goalkeeper in Champions League history, and he hardly had anything to do as Bayern accumulated 4.06 expected goals (xG) to Brugge’s 0.25.

That was, perhaps, to be expected given Bayern have only lost one of their last 25 home matches in the competition (W18 D5), with that lone defeat coming against Inter in April (2-1).