Berlin, Germany (Weltexpress). In the end FC Bayern München won 3-0 against RSC Anderlecht. But the victory of the German champion over the champion from Belgium only looked passable on paper.
Before the game
After all, the RSC Anderlecht was a champion more often and can, with 34 titles on record, be regarded as a holder of honours well ahead of the Bundesliga team. In the current season, however, the reigning champion is not yet out of the fold. In the first Belgian league with 16 teams, the Royal Sport Club Anderlecht currently ranks tenth after six matches. Two victories, two draws and two defeats add up to dismal eight points.
Bayern München are in the Bundesliga, with its 18 teams two more than in the Belgian league, currently sixth. Two victories, a defeat and six points are the yield up to now of FC Bayern.
Anderlecht came as outsider of Group B of the UEFA Champions League to Munich, into which Paris Saint-Germain FC and Celtic Glasgow were also drawn. 3:0 as a result appears on paper to be appropriate of the class distinction then.
The first half
But on the pitch bad luck and mishaps of the German champion were to be observed much too often. Although Bayern’s coach Carlo Ancelotti urged the team of the Swiss football teacher René Weiler to take the defensive from the start, it was with little skill.
The first goal came from an unauthorized penalty that referee Paolo Tagliavento gave to the host as a present, for the foul on Robert Lewandowski took place in front of the penalty area where he later fell. The fouled one placed the ball from the point into the bottom left corner of the goal, making it 1:0 (12).
The red card against Kums for his “emergency brake” was sound (11). From then on Bayern played against Anderlecht with a man more on the pitch. But the field players did not know what to do with their surplus in number and acted in a sluggish fashion. After Leander Dendoncker’s pass to Nicolae Stanciu, he missed to make a goal for Anderlecht (41.). Had they managed to counter here and on other good occasions, the Bavarians could not have complained about the equaliser, despite a considerable ball assertion. Two shots from Arjen Robben and a scissor kick from Javi Martínez, no more was offered by the men’s footballers from Munich in the first 45 minutes of the game.
The second half
In the second part as well, the champion from Munich seemed to be uninspired, so that from the central midfield hardly anything worthwhile to report came about. Alexandru Chipciu only hit the right goal post for the guests (49). In spite of two hundred per cent chances for the RSC, the FCB kept the lead and managed to build up pressure over the wings.
At least and at last, Thiago Alcántara scored, assisted by Joshua Kimmich, making it 2:0 (65.). A header was not recognised by the referee as the 3:0, as Niklas Süle was supposed to have committed a foul to gain the goal (68.). This was the second serious mistake by the referee from Italy. Kimmich himself went for the 3:0 (90). – the final score.
The players of FC Bayern created hardly any chances and were a safe bet only when the RSC Anderlecht men, being in a minority, were losing strength. This won’t do against Real, really not!
Game information
FC Bayern München – RSC Anderlecht 3:0 (1:0)
1:0 Robert Lewandowski (12. – penalty shot)
2:0 Thiago Alcántara (65.)
3:0 Joshua Kimmich (90.)
FC Bayern: Manuel Neuer – Joshua Kimmich, Javi Martínez (77. Jérôme Boateng), Niklas Süle, Rafinha – Corentin Tolisso, James Rodríguez (85. Kingsley Coman), Thiago Alcántara – Arjen Robben, Robert Lewandowski, Franck Ribéry (78. Thomas Müller).
RSC Anderlecht: Sels – Alexandru Chipciu, Spajic, Sven Kums, Deschacht, Najar (26. Appiah) – Stanciu (58. Onyekuru), Dendoncker, Trebel, Hanni – Teodroczyk (84. Harbaoui).
Referee: Paolo Tagliavento (Italy)
Yellow card: Franck Ribéry, Corentin Tolisso – Trebel, Stanciu
Red card: Sven Kums (11.)
Spectators: 70,000
