Third defeat in the Champions League
Clap for Bayern – direct round of 16 almost gone
Updated 01/22/2025 – 11:11 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
The goal was clear: FC Bayern wanted to get two wins in the last two league games of the Champions League and reach the round of 16 directly. But the plan failed in the first game.
FC Bayern lost in the Rotterdam cauldron. At Feyenoord, Munich lost 3-0 in the Champions League, appearing dominant but wasting far too many chances. Feyenoord, on the other hand, took the lead on the counterattack through Santiago Giménez (21st minute) and followed that up shortly before the break with a penalty through the same Giménez (45th + 9th). A third goal was also to be scored at De Kuip (in German: “The Tub”), the stadium in Rotterdam. Shortly before the final whistle, substitute Ayase Ueda made it 3-0 (89th).
For FC Bayern it is already the third defeat in the Champions League after defeats at Aston Villa and FC Barcelona. With just twelve points from seven games, the record champions are only in 15th place. For the direct round of 16, Bayern would have to finish eighth, which is unlikely.
“We want to play our game,” said Bayern’s sports director Max Eberl confidently on the DAZN microphone before kick-off. A request that went wrong. There was a lack of luck at the front. And there were blatant mistakes at the back, similar to the away defeats against Aston Villa (0:1) and FC Barcelona (1:4).
Bad weather, great atmosphere – that was the external setting in the legendary De Kuip. After fireworks were set off, dense clouds of smoke wafted through the arena, forcing French referee François Letexier to stop the game for several minutes. When the perspective was back, Bayern controlled their opponents and their mood.
Until the first key scene. A long ball from Gijs Smal from his own half outwitted the Bayern defense, center forward Giménez scored powerfully from the edge of the penalty area after taking the ball superbly with his left foot.
Now Bayern had a problem, to which they responded with a lot of possession and several shots from Kingsley Coman and Kane, which Bijlow parried brilliantly. Then suddenly Alphonso Davies was sitting on the ground and had to get out. Raphaël Guerreiro came in for him – and had a disastrous performance. The Portuguese fouled Calvin Stengs impetuously. Giminez converted powerfully.
15:3 shots on goal for Bayern, 2:0 for Rotterdam – those were the numbers at the break. Vincent Kompany reacted, took risks and brought in Sané as an additional offensive force for full-back Konrad Laimer. Things continued as before the break. After a pass from Jamal Musiala, who was in the starting line-up for the first time in 2025, Kane was denied by the devil Bijlow (54th). Musiala’s header was also saved by the goalkeeper wearing the Feyenoord jersey.