Berlin, Dec 10 (IANS) Bayern Munich came from behind to secure a 3-1 victory over Sporting CP in the UEFA Champions League, with teenage forward Lennart Karl at the heart of the recovery.

Intent on repairing its European standing, Bayern took the reins early and appeared to have taken an early lead when Karl finished smartly in the area. The effort was ruled out for a marginal offside, but it set the tone for a dominant first half in which the hosts controlled possession and territory.

Harry Kane and Serge Gnabry both went close, while Sporting goalkeeper Rui Silva was repeatedly called into action, reports Xinhua.

Sporting offered little sustained attacking threat before the break, though they nearly profited from Bayern’s high line when a sharp cross caused momentary confusion in the defence, forcing Manuel Neuer into an instinctive save.

Despite striking the woodwork and wasting several promising openings, Bayern went in at the interval without reward.

The match briefly shifted after the restart. Sporting struck against the run of play on 54 minutes when Joao Simoes surged down the flank and his low cross deflected off Joshua Kimmich and beyond Neuer, though Bayern drew level ten minutes later when Gnabry steered home from a corner.

The momentum swung decisively four minutes later, as Karl showcased his composure and technique by finishing cleanly from an acute angle to put Bayern ahead.

The Bundesliga leader asserted full control thereafter and sealed the outcome in the closing stages as Gnabry’s cushioned header found Jonathan Tah, who bundled home from close range.

The result leaves Bayern second in the league-phase standings with 15 points from six matches, level with leader Arsenal but trailing on goal difference. Sporting slips to ninth on 10 points, remaining in contention for the knockout rounds but under growing pressure ahead of the final fixtures.

“It was a very good but intense game,” Karl said. “We created a lot of chances and in the first half we really should have scored. The second half was very good and we showed our quality.”

–IANS

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