Bayern Munich survives late scare to edge past Holstein Kiel

Bayern Munich strengthened their grip on the Bundesliga title race with a dramatic 4-3 victory over Holstein Kiel on Saturday. After storming to a 4-0 lead, the league leaders nearly let their advantage slip, as the visitors mounted a stunning late comeback. Despite the scare, Bayern walked away with all three points, extending their lead over Bayer Leverkusen to nine points—at least until Leverkusen plays their match on Sunday.

Bayern’s dominant first hour

The match started in typical Bayern fashion, with the home side taking control early. The opening goal came in the 20th minute, courtesy of Jamal Musiala. The young German combined beautifully with Joshua Kimmich and Michael Olise before receiving a return pass from Olise. Musiala made no mistake, slotting the ball into the far corner to make it 1-0.

Moments later, Olise nearly doubled the lead, but his shot rolled just wide of the post. Aleksandar Pavlovic also tried his luck from distance before Bayern eventually found their second goal in first-half stoppage time. Kingsley Coman delivered a perfect cross, and Harry Kane rose highest to head the ball past the goalkeeper, giving Bayern a comfortable 2-0 lead at halftime.

The floodgates opened at the start of the second half. Just nine minutes after the restart, Kane struck again, finishing off a well-worked move with Raphaël Guerreiro providing the assist. Bayern’s fourth came almost immediately after, this time from Serge Gnabry. The winger pounced on a blocked shot from Coman, shifted the ball onto his left foot, and unleashed a stunning volley into the top corner to make it 4-0.

Holstein Kiel’s stunning fightback

With an hour played, it seemed Bayern was on course for an easy win. However, Holstein Kiel had other plans. Their comeback began when Finn Porath capitalized on a mistake by Kim Min-jae in the build-up. With Bayern’s defense caught off guard, Porath struck powerfully past Manuel Neuer to reduce the deficit to 4-1.

As the match entered stoppage time, substitute Steven Skrzybski stole the show with two quickfire goals. The first came from a well-placed finish, and just moments later, he found the net again to make it 4-3, sending shockwaves through the Allianz Arena. Fortunately for Bayern, there wasn’t enough time for Kiel to complete the comeback, and the final whistle secured a nervy but vital three points for Vincent Kompany’s men.

A warning for Bayern despite the win

While Bayern extends their lead at the top, the match highlighted defensive frailties that Kompany will need to address. Despite looking dominant for most of the game, the late collapse serves as a reminder that focus must be maintained for the full 90 minutes.

With Bayer Leverkusen playing on Sunday, Bayern’s advantage could still be cut, but for now, the reigning Bundesliga champions remain in control of the title race. However, if they are to maintain this momentum and compete in Europe, they must learn from their near-disastrous finish against Holstein Kiel.