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Barcelona have reportedly identified England captain Harry Kane as their top target to succeed Robert Lewandowski in the No. 9 position next season. According to a report by Will Unwin of The Guardian, the Spanish champions view the 32-year-old Bayern Munich striker as the ideal long-term replacement for Lewandowski, whose contract expires in June 2025. When he moved to Bayern in the summer of 2023, Kane negotiated a series of release clauses in his contract, including one that would allow him to leave for €65 million (£57.1 million or $75.1 million) in the summer of 2026 if he chooses to do so. German outlet BILD reports that Kane must announce his decision to leave during the winter in order to activate the clause for the following summer. Should he make that choice in the coming months, he would be available in the 2026 summer transfer window for a fee of €65 million. Since joining Bayern Munich from Tottenham Hotspur for £100 million in August 2023, Kane has been phenomenal for the Bavarian side—scoring 108 goals in 113 appearances. In September, he became the fastest player this century to reach 100 goals for a club in Europe’s top five leagues. He also ended his long trophy drought in May after playing a key role in Bayern reclaiming the Bundesliga title. Although Kane said last month he was open to staying at Bayern beyond his current deal, which runs until June 2027, the opportunity to join another global powerhouse and compete for further major honours could tempt him to Barcelona. Furthermore, the possible departure of Barcelona’s Polish star Lewandowski at the end of the season could open the door for the English striker to become his successor. However, whether Kane would accept such a proposal remains uncertain. Spanish media suggest that Kane is “considering” a move to Catalonia, but the England captain has publicly dismissed speculation. “I’m very happy here in Munich,” the 32-year-old said last month. “[Leaving] is not something I’m thinking about.” The Catalan club already have another England international, Marcus Rashford, in their squad. Rashford, currently on loan from Manchester United, has been impressive this season with six goals and seven assists. Barcelona also have an option to make his move permanent for £30 million.

Bayern Munich maintained their flawless start to the season with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), with Luis Diaz having a bittersweet experience. The Colombian winger scored a brace, Bayern’s only goals of the night, before seeing a red card that left the Bavarians struggling throughout the entire second half. In an exciting clash at Parc des Princes on Tuesday night, Vincent Kompany’s side won the tie 2-1. The hosts’ only goal came from João Neves in the 74th minute. With the victory, the German giants have now won all 16 of their matches this season. Bayern had previously suffered a 2-0 defeat to PSG in the quarter-finals of the Club World Cup held in the United States last July. Since then, they have not experienced such a setback. PSG, on the other hand, tasted their first defeat after three consecutive wins in the UCL this season. Mikel Merino’s brace helps Arsenal maintain perfect UCL run Bayern started the game brightly and went ahead by capitalizing on their first notable chance of the match in the fourth minute. Diaz entered the box and fired past goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier after Michael Olise’s initial shot was blocked, giving Bayern an early lead. PSG responded in the 22nd minute, but Ousmane Dembélé’s effort was ruled offside after a VAR check. Moments later, Dembélé was substituted due to discomfort in his leg and replaced by Lee Kang-in. In the 31st minute, Serge Gnabry’s shot from outside the box struck the post, and Bayern capitalized a minute later to double their advantage. PSG defender Marquinhos lost control of the ball outside the box, allowing Diaz to carry it forward and beat the goalkeeper for his second goal of the night. The hosts tried hard to reduce the deficit before the break, but it was Bayern who could have extended the lead to 4-0 as they narrowly missed a couple of opportunities. However, just before halftime, the visitors were reduced to ten men as Diaz was shown a direct red card after a lengthy VAR review for a foul on PSG midfielder Achraf Hakimi. With a man advantage, PSG became dominant after the break. It was an all-PSG show in the second half, as they controlled 87 percent of possession and produced 19 shots, eight of which on target. Despite being a man down, Bayern held their composure, relying on key interventions from goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. In the 68th minute, Neuer made a crucial save to deny a long-range effort from Vitinha. But the German goalkeeper had to surrender in the 74th minute, when João Neves expertly converted a cross from outside the six-yard box, giving the home side hope of a comeback. That was all for the hosts, as PSG could not find an equalizer despite continued pressure in front of Bayern’s box. Liverpool hand Real Madrid first UCL defeate despite Courtois’ resistance With the hard-fought victory, Bayern sit top of the table with 12 points from four matches. Arsenal sit second with the same tally. In other contests of the night, the Gunners put three past Slavia Prague, thanks to a brace from Mikel Merino and a successful penalty by Bukayo Saka. Liverpool handed Real Madrid their first defeat in the Champions League, while nine-man Tottenham Hotspur continued their unbeaten run in the UCL by demolishing FC Copenhagen 4-0. Atletico Madrid returned to winning ways by beating Union Saint-Gilloise 3-1 after a heavy defeat at the Emirates Stadium last month, while two Italian sides — Napoli and Juventus — were held at home to a goalless draw against Eintracht Frankfurt and a 1-1 draw with Sporting CP respectively.

Bayern Munich continued their relentless form in the Bundesliga, defeating ten-man Borussia Mönchengladbach 3-0 on Saturday to set a new league record for most goals scored in the opening eight matches of a season. The reigning champions have now won all eight of their Bundesliga fixtures, scoring 30 goals in the process — the highest tally ever recorded at this stage. With 24 points, Bayern remain firmly at the top of the table, five points clear of second-placed RB Leipzig. Gladbach’s woes deepened early when midfielder Jens Castrop was shown a straight red card in the 19th minute for a reckless challenge on Luis Díaz. Despite their numerical advantage, Bayern found it difficult to break down the hosts’ defense in the first half and went into the interval goalless. After the restart, the visitors increased their intensity. Michael Olise missed two clear chances around the 50th minute, and Harry Kane briefly thought he had given Bayern the lead before his effort was ruled offside. The breakthrough finally came in the 64th minute when Joshua Kimmich calmly finished from the edge of the box to put Bayern ahead. Five minutes later, Raphaël Guerreiro doubled the lead, timing his run perfectly to meet a through ball from Olise and slotting home with composure. Seventeen-year-old midfielder Lennart Karl added a third in the 80th minute with his first senior goal, sealing another dominant victory for the Bavarians. The result extended Bayern’s perfect record across all competitions this season. Germany’s most successful club have now played 13 matches in total — and won every single one of them.

Bayern Munich started their Champions League journey with a strong 3-1 win at home against Chelsea. The victory was largely due to a two-goal performance from Bayern’s English star Harry Kane, who punished Chelsea’s defensive mistakes in a match filled with both bad luck and brilliant moments. The game at Allianz Arena began with a close contest, but it was Bayern who found the net first. Just 20 minutes in, Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah, under pressure from Dayot Upamecano, diverted Michael Olise’s cross into his own net. Seven minutes later, things got worse for Chelsea. Midfielder Moises Caicedo fouled Harry Kane in the box, and gifted the opponent a penalty, which Kane calmly sent into the net. While Bayern were scoring, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca was left staring at the replay screen in disbelief, seeing his players’ childish mistakes. Conceding two quick goals, The Blues started coming back to the game. This time too, young star Cole Palmer stepped up for his team. He ran forward with the ball, passed it to a teammate, and then got it back to score with a sharp shot in the 29th minute. The goal gave Chelsea a spark of hope. Second-half eight-goal drama sees Juventus snatch late draw In the second half, both teams created chances, but it was Chelsea’s defense that made the next and final big mistake. In the 63rd minute, a bad pass from Malo Gusto went directly to Kane. The forward did not miss his chance. He took the ball, went around the goalkeeper, and completed his brace of the night with ease. Near the end of the match, Palmer scored another goal, but it was ruled out for offside. The Bavarians celebrated the night for their goalkeeper, Manuel Neuer, who earned his 100th win in the competition. Bayern’s next Champions League match will be on September 30 against Cypriot club Pafos FC, while Chelsea will host Benfica on the same night.    

Bayern Munich's star midfielder Jamal Musiala sustained another injury during the Club World Cup match on Friday night, just 25 minutes after being subbed on. He was replaced in the 82nd minute by veteran German international Thomas Müller. Musiala entered the match in the 57th minute against Boca Juniors, but the exact nature of his injury has not yet been disclosed. Liverpool starts Premier League title defense against Bournemouth while Man U hosts Arsenal The 22-year-old had recently been recovering from a torn hamstring sustained during the Bundesliga season. Prior to Friday’s game, he had not featured for Bayern since April and only returned to full training on May 7. Due to his ongoing recovery, Bayern Munich and Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann opted not to include Musiala in the national squad for the UEFA Nations League semifinals held in late May.

Bayern Munich confirmed that English defender Eric Dier will depart the club at the end of the season, following the expiry of his contract. “We had discussions with Eric about a new contract. He told us that he doesn’t want to extend and will leave us,” Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund said Friday. “He’s a great guy. We had a great time together. Hopefully he crowns his time with us with his first title,” he added, reports AP. The 31-year-old is reportedly set to join French side Monaco, where he is expected to receive a longer deal and more regular playing time than at he did at the German powerhouse. Dier arrived in Munich from Tottenham Hotspur in January last year and made 45 appearances for the club. However, he struggled for minutes under new manager Vincent Kompany until recently, when he began to prove his value to the squad. Lord's to host 2026 Women's T20 World Cup final “We had good talks with his agent,” Freund said, adding, “There’s another possibility where he can sign a longer contract, you have to respect that.” Bayern can clinch the Bundesliga title with a victory over Leipzig on Saturday. It remains uncertain whether Dier will stay on for FIFA’s new Club World Cup in the United States, scheduled from June 14 to July 13. Freund noted that the club would “speak with him internally” about the matter.

Harry Kane said he had "a few butterflies" before his Bundesliga debut. They didn't show. The England captain scored one goal and set up another as Bayern Munich routed Werder Bremen 4-0 away in the opening game of the season on Friday. Also read: Lewandowski record as Bayern moves top in Bundesliga Kane, who finally completed his protracted transfer from Tottenham last weekend, showed straight away why Bayern reportedly paid more than 100 million euros ($110 million) for the forward. "There was a bit of nervous excitement to play the game," Kane said. "New surroundings for me, extremely excited to get the season started with my new club and a massive club. So for sure there was a few butterflies. But as always, I feel once I get on the pitch, you know, instinct takes over and I just play my normal game." Also read: What can Ronaldo expect from Saudi Pro League soccer? Kane needed only three minutes to set Leroy Sané free for the opener, before he finally beat Bremen's Jiří Pavlenka with a low shot in the 74th. A Bremen defender's studs deflected the shot slightly inside the left post. The England captain went off shortly afterward with what looked like a cramp, one of three late changes by Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel. Also read: Messi scores early in 1st game outside Florida for Inter Miami at FC Dallas Substitute Thomas Müller set up Sané for the third goal in the final minute then Alphonso Davies set up Mathys Tel, another substitute, to complete the scoring in injury time. The home team's best period was just after the halftime break. "They came out in the second half and had a few chances, made it difficult, but then it was nice to get that second goal, and then the boys off the bench come on and finished the job for us," Kane said. It started with Kane dinking a clever ball forward into space from inside his own half to set Sané free to open the scoring on a counterattack. Bremen's defense should have done better. "We had a few more chances in the first half that we probably could have done a bit better with, to kind of put the game away early. But then we defended better," Kane said. "We were a lot better getting the first contact, and we spoke about that. If we want to be a competitive team this season in all competitions, set-pieces are a big part of that. So really happy with a clean sheet as well. It's going to be important going forward for the rest of the season." Fellow summer signing Kim Min-jae also made his first league start for Bayern, which is bidding to extend its record of 11 consecutive Bundesliga titles. There was a minute's silence before the game for former Bremen player Horst-Dieter Höttges, who died in July. Höttges was a member of West Germany's victorious 1974 World Cup squad.

The Bayern Munich team flew to Qatar on Friday for its winter training camp amid uncertainty over the club’s contentious sponsorship agreement with the Persian Gulf country. State-owned Qatar Airways’ lucrative advertising deal is due to expire at the end of the season and there is pressure on the Bavarian powerhouse from its own fans not to extend it. Many Bayern supporters feel it’s damaging to the club’s reputation to take money from a country associated with human rights abuses. The issue has long been a source of contention between Bayern and its own fans, who have consistently campaigned against the sponsorship agreement. Members of the Bayern ultra-fan groups, Munich’s Red Pride and Club. No. 12, displayed banners at games condemning what they say is the “sports washing” of human rights abuses in Qatar through Bayern’s publicity for the sheikhdom. “We continue to stand by our position that we’re absolutely against an extension of the sponsorship agreement,” Alexander Salzweger from Club No. 12 told The Associated Press this week. “In contrast to previous years, it’s no longer about an early termination, which would have been more than complicated, but not extending the sponsorship.” Bayern did not respond to requests for comment. Fans previously called on Bayern to prematurely end the sponsorship deal. The club’s 2021 AGM ended in tumult and anger when members booed the club’s directors for refusing to discuss the issue. Bayern president Herbert Hainer apologized at the following AGM last November when he said he made “mistakes” in not allowing a discussion at the previous meeting. Read more: Bayern Munich vs Barcelona 2022: Match preview, lineups, predictions, where to watch Club No. 12 organized a public meeting in Munich in 2020 titled “Qatar, human rights and FC Bayern” featuring two migrant workers who spoke of their experiences constructing stadiums for the World Cup. Bayern was invited to send a representative but did not respond to organizers. The team plays with Qatar Airways on the sleeves of the players’ jerseys. The club receives 10 million euros ($10.5 million) a year from its five-year deal with the Qatari carrier. That arrangement was signed in 2018, replacing Bayern’s previous sponsorship deal with Doha Airport. The club has been holding mid-season training camps in the Persian Gulf country since 2011, though plans to train there in 2022 and 2021 were scrapped due to the coronavirus pandemic. Bayern CEO Oliver Kahn said in November that the club was deferring its decision on whether to extend its deal with Qatar Airways. “We will continue to discuss the issue intensively after the World Cup and find a solution for FC Bayern,” Kahn told members at the AGM. Read more: Barcelona set to sign striker Lewandowski from Bayern Munich There has been no news on the issue from the club since.

The reigning German Bundesliga champions FC Bayern Munich will host Spanish giants FC Barcelona on Tuesday (September 13) at the Allianz Arena for a Champions League group stage match. Bayern Munich’s recent success against Barcelona has made them favourites for the clash. However, the Blaugrana are a more competitive team this season than they were in the last couple of seasons. The Bayern Munich vs Barcelona 2022 group C match preview is discussed in this article. Bayern Munich vs Barcelona Match Preview 2022 Bayern Munich and Barcelona are two of the most successful Champions League teams in history. Bayern have won six UCL titles, while Barcelona have clinched five. Bayern have the advantage in a head-to-head battle. The Bavarians have nine victories over the Blaugrana in 13 meetings. On the other hand, Barcelona have only two victories and the remaining two matches ended in draws. Bayern Munich, understandably, have the advantage in terms of goal scoring. They have netted 32 times in Barcelona’s goalposts while conceding 16. Read Premier League pays tribute to Queen, postpones weekend's fixtures In Tuesday’s contest, the lineups of the two sides will be much different than their latest meeting in December 2021. Lewandowski transferred from Bayern Munich to Barcelona in this summer's window. The Spanish giants also included some quality footballers in their squad, which has helped Xavi to properly implement his game plan on the pitch. On the other hand, Bayern Munich replaced Lewandowski with Liverpool’s Sadio Mane. Besides, Julian Nagelsmann has made some adjustments in his system with Mane playing the lone striker role. Barcelona’s head coach, Xavi Hernandez, is likely to implement a 4-3-3 system where the Polish goal machine, Robert Lewandowski, will play the main hitman role. There will be Ousmane Dembele and Raphinha to assist Lewandowski upfront. The defenders have a bigger duty in this match to stop Bayern’s attacking players in the match. It will be interesting to see whether they have the capability to stop Bayern’s attacking players in the contest. Bayern Munich’s Julian Nagelsmann has tried to formulate his game plan for this season with the versatile offensive player Sadio Mane. The Bayern coach might deploy a 4-2-3-1 system which will allow Thomas Muller to remain close to Sadio Mane to provide regular assists. The host will likely play a bit cautiously to not allow Lewandowski a slight chance to find the back of the net. Read UEFA Champions League 2022-2023: UCL Group Stage Predictions Bayern Munich vs Barcelona 2022: Lineups Two important players for Bayern Munich, Kingsley Coman and Bouna Sarr, will miss the contest due to injury. But Benjamin Pavard and Lucas Hernandez are most likely to be back in the starting lineup for the hosts. Bayern Munich (Predicted Starting XI)   GK: Manuel Neuer;  Defenders: Benjamin Pavard, Matthijs de Ligt, Lucas Hernandez, Joshua Kimmich;  Midfielders: Alphonso Davies, Marcel Sabitzer; Serge Gnabry, Thomas Muller, Leroy Sane;  Forward: Sadio Mane There is no major injury concern in Barcelona’s squad. Sergio Roberto has been included in the 25-member squad who missed out on playing the Cadiz match due to a muscular problem. Therefore, Xavi has no issue selecting players for this big contest. Barcelona (Predicted Starting XI) GK: Marc-Andre ter Stegen;  Defenders: Jules Kounde, Ronald Araujo, Eric Garcia, Jordi Alba,  Midfielders: Gavi, Sergio Busquets, Pedri;  Forwards: Raphinha, Lewandowski, Dembele Prediction: Bayern Munich 2 – 2 Barcelona. Read Barça newcomers lead 3-0 win at Sevilla, Madrid beats Betis Where to watch Bayern Munich vs Barcelona, Group C match of UCL 2022-2023? Football fans in India and the subcontinent can watch the group C match between Bayern Munich and Barcelona on the Sony TV network. Besides, the match can be seen on the Sony Liv app and website. The match will start on Wednesday at 1 a.m. (Bangladesh Standard Time). Bottom Line The Bayern Munich vs Barcelona 2022 UEFA Champions League encounter would be more thrilling to watch than it was the previous year. Because a lot of changes were made in the squads of both the teams during the summer transfer window of 2022, Barcelona’s hitman, Robert Lewandowski, knows a lot about his former club, Bayern Munich, and its players' weaknesses and strengths. This may aid Barcelona in properly executing their game plan on the field. Bayern Munich, on the other hand, is always good at coming up with novel solutions. Therefore, overcoming the host Bayern in this contest won’t be easy for Barcelona. Read Mbappé scores twice in PSG win but Vitinha injured

Barcelona is set to sign Poland striker Robert Lewandowski from Bayern Munich in a bold move by the debt-ridden club to acquire a world-class scorer who can finally help fill the void a year after Lionel Messi’s exit last summer. The two European clubs have reached an agreement in principle for Lewandowski’s move to Camp Nou, Bayern president Herbert Hainer said Saturday. “We have come to a verbal agreement with Barcelona. It’s good to have clarity for all parties,” Hainer said on Bayern’s official Twitter account. “Robert is an incredible player and he won everything with us. We are incredibly grateful to him.” Spanish media reports that the transfer would cost Barcelona some 50 million euros ($50.4 million). The 33-year-old Lewandowski, one of soccer’s most prolific scorers of the past decade, would greatly boost Barcelona’s chances of rebuilding a competitive team after winning nothing last season following the departure of Messi, its all-time top scorer. Lewandowski scored 312 goals in 384 Bundesliga games for Bayern and previous club Borussia Dortmund. He hit 35 goals in 34 appearances last season to become the Bundesliga’s leading scorer for the seventh time overall. Barcelona’s top scorers were Memphis Depay and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang with 13 goals each last campaign. Barcelona also gets a proven winner. Lewandowski helped Bayern win the 2020 Champions League, after it humiliated Barcelona 8-2 in the quarterfinals. He also scooped up 10 Bundesliga titles, four German Cups, and a Club World Cup with the Bavarian powerhouse. Only the dominance of Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo has likely stopped Lewandowski from receiving more individual accolades. Read: Barça reaches deal with Man U for reluctant De Jong But Lewandowski said in late May that “my story with Bayern Munich is over” after contract extension talks with Bayern broke down. He had one more season left on his contact with Bayern. He will now join a team coached by Xavi Hernández that relied on Aubameyang and Ferran Torres for its goals after they joined last winter as Depay was injured and lost his starting job as striker. He will have Spain’s young and gifted midfielders Pedri González and Gavi Páez to set him up. Barcelona is mired in debt mostly due to the huge transfer fees and salaries paid out by its previous president and board. In order to make signings this summer, current president Joan Laporta had to sell 10% of the team’s Spanish league television rights for the next 25 years in exchange for 207.5 million euros ($207.5 million). That infusion of cash also helped it secure the transfer of Brazil winger Raphinha and sign Ousmane Dembélé to a new contract last week as its hopes to challenge Spanish and European champion Real Madrid in the upcoming season. Local media said Barcelona agreed to play Leeds nearly 60 million euros ($60 million) plus add-ons for the 25-year-old Raphinha. Now, with a veteran like Lewandowski soon to be on board, the club is clearly betting on winning titles again in the short term. Last season, Barcelona finished a distant second in Spain to Madrid and failed to advance beyond the Champions League group phase. To compensate the spending, Barcelona said this week that it had reached an agreement with Manchester United to potentially send Netherlands midfielder Frenkie de Jong the Premier League club for 75 million euros ($75 million) plus another possible 10 million euros in variables. That move, however, would have to be approved by De Jong, who has no interest in leaving Barcelona according to media reports. The sale allows Bayern to cash in on a player turning 34 next month who would have become a free agent next year and had made clear his desire to leave. Read: Dembélé signs new contract with Barcelona through 2024 If the fee is confirmed, it would be a club-record sale fee for Bayern, exceeding the 40 million euros ($40.3 million) the German champion received from Juventus for Douglas Costa in 2018. Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting is Bayern’s typical backup for Lewandowski but rarely starts, while other forwards like Sadio Mané, Leroy Sané, Kingsley Coman and Serge Gnabry are primarily wide players.   So replacing a player who was Bundesliga top scorer for each of the last five seasons — and who set the league record of 41 goals in 2020-21 -- will be no easy task.