Champions League
Neuer causes Bayern to suffer their first defeat
Updated 11/26/2025 – 11:10 p.mReading time: 3 minutes
FC Bayern can still lose. In the Champions League, Arsenal coldly exploited the record champions’ mistakes.
When Jurriën Timber made it 0-1 (22′), he missed, and before Gabriel Martinelli made it 3-1 (76′), Neuer strayed far in front of his goal. Noni Madueke (69th) made it 2-1, Bayern’s Lennart Karl equalized to make it 1-1 (32nd).
Munich CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen had announced Arsenal as a “real board”. The Londoners are confidently leading the domestic Premier League and started the Champions League just as perfectly as Bayern with four wins. The Gunners welcomed the German record champions with corresponding confidence, who found it difficult to get into the game.
In the English drizzle, Arsenal started more offensively and with more pressure than Bayern. The Londoners failed to make the decisive pass in front of Neuer’s goal two or three times, but the first corner gave them the lead. Neuer was jostled immediately before the execution and then acted somewhat unluckily when the Dutch goalscorer headed the ball – the ball went past the keeper’s hands and into the goal.
Eberechi Eze almost took advantage of Bayern’s brief low to score the hosts’ second goal, but his shot just missed the Munich goal (31). Instead, things happened very quickly on the other side immediately afterwards: Joshua Kimmich sent Serge Gnabry with a strong pass towards the penalty area, the winger passed it on to Karl, who equalized with a direct pass.
“Bayern’s prodigy,” as the European Football Union Uefa wrote on its website, cheered with his teammates, and on the sidelines Kompany raised both fists towards the sky. Karl, who also played well in the 6-2 win against SC Freiburg last weekend, came into the starting line-up for the suspended Luis Díaz. “He should show his qualities – and if not, then that’s no problem,” Kompany said before the game.