Bayern beats Copenhagen 2-1 in the Champions League to extend its winning run

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This article was published 03/10/2023 (1099 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Bayern Munich needed a late goal from Mathys Tel to continue its winning streak in Champions League group-stage games with a 2-1 win at Copenhagen on Tuesday.

With the score at 1-1, youth and experience combined for the winning goal as 34-year-old Thomas Müller picked up a pass from Harry Kane, held off two defenders and then played in 18-year-old French forward Tel to blast the ball into the net in the 83rd minute.

It was a rare moment of cohesive, creative team play from Bayern after the German champion spent most of the game frustrated by Copenhagen’s deep, compact defense and was vulnerable to the Danish team’s counterattacks.

“They defended very narrow and very compact and it was hard to open that up,” Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel told broadcaster Amazon Prime Video.

Tel’s goal extended Bayern’s remarkable run of wins in Champions League group-stage games to 15 since a draw with Atletico Madrid in 2020, a competition record. Bayern is also 36 games unbeaten in the group stage since 2017.

Bayern could have conceded in the third minute when Mohamed Elyounoussi got behind the defense on the break and saw his shot saved by goalkeeper Sven Ulreich.

Elyounoussi played a key role in the buildup when Lukas Lerager eventually gave Copenhagen the lead in the 56th minute. Elyounoussi played in Viktor Claesson, whose shot was blocked by Bayern’s Kim Min-jae, but the ball fell for Lerager to hit a bouncing volley which looped past Ulreich and into the net.

Jamal Musiala leveled for Bayern 11 minutes later with a moment of individual skill, beating defender Peter Ankersen and hitting the ball low into the bottom-right corner from the edge of the box.

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Elyounoussi had the chance to restore Copenhagen’s lead but fired a powerful shot narrowly wide, before Tel’s goal put Bayern ahead.

Bayern nearly threw the win away in added time but goalkeeper Sven Ulreich dived to keep out what would have been an own-goal.

Galatasaray stunned Manchester United 3-2 in the other game in Group A. Bayern sits top of the group, two points ahead of second-place Galatasaray.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer