Bayern Munich had to settle for a Champions League play-off spot despite Harry Kane's goal in a comfortable 3-1 win over Slovan Bratislava.
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Bayern had little trouble against Slovan BratislavaHowever, victory was not enough to seal top-eight finishKompany's men will play two-legged tie to confirm last-16 spotFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱AFPTELL ME MORE
Bayern Munich were dominant at the Allianz Arena: 78 per cent possession, 22 shots, 768 passes – and yet it was not enough to seal a direct passage to the Champions League last 16.
It was simply one-way traffic right from the first whistle as Slovan Bratislava struggled to hold the fort against waves of Bayern attack. It always seemed to be a matter of when, not if, the deadlock would be broken and the Bavarians just took eight minutes to get their noses in front. Joshua Kimmich swung in an inch-perfect cross from the right flank and Thomas Muller skipped his marker like a typical poacher and scored with his head to net his 56th Champions League goal to match Dutch legend Ruud van Nistelrooy's tally.
After drawing early blood, Kompany's men kept piling on the pressure to better their goal difference but Slovan defenders put their bodies on the line to keep the scoreline unchanged. The Slovaks relied on counterattacks to venture into the Bayern half and they did test Manuel Neuer after the half-hour mark but the German keeper stood equal to the task.
The script did not change much in the second half as Bayern continued their onslaught on the Slovan goal in their pursuit of a top-eight finish. Leroy Sane came close to doubling the advantage but the former Manchester City forward was denied by Dominik Takac. Kompany introduced heavy artillery after the hour mark as he brought on Jamal Musiala, Serge Gnabry and Kingsley Coman from the bench and the Belgian was handsomely rewarded for the tactical change.
Within a couple of minutes after coming on, Musiala showed his class again as he floated in a delicious cross for Kane and the England skipper made no mistake to score from close range. The final quarter was eventful, as just six minutes from full-time, Coman added another to make it 3-0. Marko Tolic pulled one back in the 90th minute, which served as a consolation strike for the visitors.
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It was another all-round performance from Kane who not only scored but dropped deep on several occasions to either help out his team-mates during a counter or simply to link up play. His movement inside the box was exceptional as he managed to score despite being marked by the two Slovan central defenders.
THE BIG LOSER
Slovan Bratislava'saerial weakness was exposed by Bayern time and again. The central defenders, Guram Kashia and Kevin Wimmer, failed to keep a check on Muller and Kane for the goals, and the two veterans made them pay for their mistakes.
WHAT COMES NEXT?
Bayern finished outside the top eight in the Champions League table which means Kompany's troops will have to engage in a two-legged play-off to seal their last-16 berth. However, in the short term, they will shift their focus to the Bundesliga where they are set to face Holstein Kiel on Saturday.
