Musiala’s Brace Powers Bayern to a 3-0 Victory in Bundesliga Opener

In the kickoff match for Bundesliga’s 17th round, runner-up Bayern Munich secured a victorious start to 2024, triumphing 3-0 over 10-men Hoffenheim, courtesy of Jamal Musiala’s impactful brace.

Despite Bayern’s early control of possession, the opening stages witnessed a lack of accuracy in the final third against a defensively oriented Hoffenheim, as reported by Xinhua. Breaking the deadlock in the 18th minute, Leroy Sane connected with Musiala, who skillfully drilled the ball into the far post corner.

Hoffenheim, aiming for counterattacks, struggled to pose a significant threat. However, Bayern had to wait until the half-hour mark for a promising one-on-one opportunity, with Hoffenheim goalkeeper Oliver Baumann denying Raphael Guerreiro.

The second half saw Bayern picking up where they left off, only to have a Harry Kane goal ruled offside in the 55th minute. Despite moments of wastefulness, Musiala’s attempt hit the woodwork, and Thomas Muller missed a rebound opportunity from close range.

Hoffenheim, not backing down, tested Bayern’s defense with Andrej Kramaric’s one-on-one attempt and Maximilian Beier’s header hitting the crossbar. However, Bayern extinguished any hopes of a comeback in the 70th minute, as Sane and Musiala combined for the latter’s brace. Hoffenheim’s Grischa Promel received a second yellow card four minutes later, reducing them to 10 men.

Capitalizing on the numerical advantage, Bayern sealed the 3-0 victory with Kane marking his 22nd goal of the season.

Muller commented on the win, stating, “It’s always good if you win 3-0, but we still lack in easiness. We had everything under control, but we nearly gave away our lead in the second half.” Meanwhile, coach Thomas Tuchel acknowledged room for improvement, saying, “The result is great, but we still have a lot of work ahead.”

–IANS