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.

Villarreal pulled off another surprising Champions League result, this time against sixth-time champion Bayern Munich to boost its hopes of returning to the semifinals for the first time in 16 years. After making it past the group stage and eliminating Juventus in the round of 16, the modest Spanish club took a big step toward reaching the last four by holding on to a 1-0 victory against favorite Bayern in the first leg of the quarterfinals on Wednesday. Also read:Another Benzema hat trick gives Madrid 3-1 edge over Chelsea Arnaut Danjuma’s goal early in the first half was enough for Villarreal at the La Cerámica Stadium, with Bayern unable to get past the solid defense of Unai Emery’s squad and losing only for the second time in 30 Champions League matches. Bayern was unbeaten in its last 22 away games in the Champions League, with 17 wins and five draws in a record run that had started after a loss in 2017 to a Paris Saint-Germain team coached by Emery. The Germans struggled throughout the match on Wednesday and were glad to leave only one goal down. “We’ll take the 1-0 result," veteran Thomas Müller said. “We know that things could have been a lot worse. We have to pay a lot of respects to our opponents. Now we need to pick ourselves back up for the return leg and hit back.” The second leg is next week in Munich, where Villarreal will need a draw to get to the semifinals for the first time since its first last-four appearance in the Champions League in 2006. Villarreal stunned Juventus 3-0 in Italy after a 1-1 draw at home in the last 16. In the other quarterfinal Wednesday, defending champion Chelsea lost 3-1 to Real Madrid in the first leg in London. “We deserved to lose. We weren’t good today,” Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann said. “In the first half, we lacked power in defense and had too few chances. The second half was a completely wild game. We gave up control because we were desperate to score, but we could have conceded two more.” Villarreal looked in control from the start and Bayern struggled to create significant scoring chances. The hosts threatened the most and had some good chances to add to its lead. “There was talk about them being favorites and wanting to seal their place in the semifinals tonight, but we came out very hungry, very humble,” Villarreal midfielder Giovani Lo Celso said. “There’s no doubt they are one of the best teams in the world, but we managed the game well and could have scored even more goals.” Danjuma opened the scoring in the eighth minute by redirecting a close-range shot by Dani Parejo as the Bayern defense was caught off guard. It was Danjuma’s sixth goal in nine Champions League appearances this season, and seventh in 11 career games in the competition. Villarreal thought it had doubled the lead in the 41st but Francis Coquelin’s goal from a tough angle was disallowed for offside. Also read:Mbappe runs the show in PSG’s 5-1 win over Lorient Striker Gerard Moreno twice had opportunities to add to Villarreal's lead after that. First with a low shot from outside the area that hit the post in the 53rd, and 10 minutes later after intercepting a bad pass by Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer near midfield and missing his long-range shot into the open net. The ball ended up curling too much as Neuer desperately tried to run back into position. Bayern increased the pressure near the end but again it was Villarreal that nearly added to the lead when substitute Alfonso Pedraza missed from close range on a counterattack in the 87th. Villarreal did a good job containing Robert Lewandowski throughout the match and he had few opportunities inside the area. He entered the match as the Champions League’s leading scorer with 12 goals from eight matches and had scored seven goals in his last five games in all competitions. The Poland striker is ranked third on the all-time list of Champions League scorers, behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Bayern's Canadian player Alphonso Davies made his first appearance since Dec. 17 after a long injury layoff because of cardiac issues. Villarreal, based in a city of about 50,000 people, is playing in the quarterfinals for the first time in 13 years. It qualified for the Champions League by winning last season’s Europa League. Bayern was eliminated by PSG at this stage last season. The German club made it to the last eight 10 times in the last 11 seasons. The team is playing in the quarterfinals for a record 20th time. The winner will play either Benfica or Liverpool in the semifinals. Liverpool won the first leg in Lisbon 3-1.

Gerd Müller, the Bayern Munich and former West Germany forward known as “Der Bomber” for his scoring-prowess, has died. He was 75. The Bavarian club announced his death on Sunday. Müller scored 566 goals for Bayern between 1964 and 1979, helping the side to four German titles, four German Cup wins and three European Cup victories in that time. He still holds the record for the most goals scored in the Bundesliga with 365, scored in 427 league games. “Gerd Müller was the greatest striker there’s ever been, and a fine person and character of world football,” Bayern president Herbert Hainer said in a statement posted on the cub’s website. “We’re all united in deep mourning with his wife Uschi as well as his family.” READ:  Brazil soccer fan in Cox’s Bazar takes poison Bayern announced in October 2015 that Müller has had Alzheimer’s disease for “a long time” and that he had been cared for professionally with the support of his family since the beginning of February that year. Müller made 607 competitive appearances for Bayern. He was the league’s top-scorer on seven occasions. He was as important to Bayern’s ascent to becoming Germany’s powerhouse as former teammates Franz Beckenbauer and Uli Hoeneß. Müller’s record of 40 goals scored in the 1971-72 Bundesliga season was only beaten last season, when current Bayern forward Robert Lewandowski scored his 41st in the last minute of the last game. Müller also helped West Germany win the European Championship in 1972, then the World Cup two years later, when he scored the winning goal in the final against the Netherlands. Altogether he scored 68 goals in 62 appearances for West Germany. It was a national record only surpassed in 2014 by Miroslav Klose, who needed 129 appearances to match him. Müller became a youth coach at Bayern after his playing days, working with players such as Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Thomas Müller. READ:  Brazil and Argentina clash in a soccer final for 5th time “His achievements are unrivaled to this day and will forever be a part of the great history of FC Bayern and all of German football,” Bayern chairman Oliver Kahn added in the club statement. “As a player and a person, Gerd Müller stands for FC Bayern and its development into one of the biggest clubs in the world like no other. Gerd will forever be in our hearts.”

Cristiano Ronaldo is rumored to be thinking of leaving Juventus because he doesn't want to miss out on the opportunity to play in the Champions League. In that case, Ronaldo would aspire to join one of Europe's top teams. He still plays with a lot of intensity and scores a lot of goals at the age of 36. Any European giant would be happy to have him into their squad. The economic aspect is an important issue here but Ronaldo is also ready to make concessions in terms of salary. This article discusses potential destinations for Ronaldo if he leaves Juventus. Ronaldo's possible destinations if he leaves Juventus Real Madrid Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly expressed a desire to return to Real Madrid next season, regardless of whether Juventus is guaranteed a spot in the Champions League.Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane is a big fan of Ronaldo. So, Zidane will surely embrace Cristiano’s return to the team.But it's not just a case of will; economic issues are important here. It would be very difficult for Madrid to invest a lot of money to get a mega Star into the squad since they have a debt of about 1 billion Euros. In that case, Ronaldo would have to give up a large chunk of his current wages. But Madrid supporters will be overjoyed to see Ronaldo return to the Bernabeu. Read: Football Transfers 2021: Why Lionel Messi should play for Manchester City next season Manchester United Cristiano Ronaldo is a person who is always up for a challenge. He prefers to play in situations that allow him to display his charisma. Considering this, Manchester United could be an ideal destination for Ronaldo if he leaves Juventus. Red Devil fans are hoping to see Ronaldo return to the team. In terms of finances, the amount of money that would have been spent on Ronaldo five years ago is not as much now. Besides, both sides would be benefitted as Ronaldo has an extra affection for Manchester United. PSG A few years back, PSG have created a stir by signing two superstar footballers Neymar and KylianMbappé. If possible, the Qatari owner Nasser Al Khelaifi would bring Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to Paris Saint-Germain. Although the PSG owner has no shortage of money, it will not be possible to include so many star footballers in one team due to the financial fair play. In that case, PSG will want to keep the best two footballers in the team by spending more money. They will try to bring Cristiano Ronaldo to the team if Neymar leaves the team for Barcelona next season. Ronaldo would welcome the opportunity to play in Paris for a while. Among the potential destinations for Ronaldo, PSG would be a suitable option. Bayern Munich Bayern Munich has expressed no interest in buying Cristiano Ronaldo so far. However, Bayern Munich may be willing to sign him if Ronaldo shows an interest in leaving Juventus. They can make a good offer within their capacity. Ronaldo may be interested in joining Bayern Munich because it gives him the opportunity to play in the German Bundesliga and with one of Europe's biggest clubs. Read: How the European Super League could have ruled Messi and Ronaldo out of the FIFA World Cup 2022 Sporting Lisbon Cristiano Ronaldo can return to his native Portugal if he leaves Juventus. In that case, Sporting Lisbon may be the best option for him as Ronaldo started his competitive football career with this club. He later became a superstar at Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United. Recently, Ronaldo's mother expressed interest in returning to Portugal while talking about her son's transfer. However, Ronaldo is less likely to play for Sporting Lisbon next season. Inter Miami If the big teams in Europe fail to lure Ronaldo, then David Beckham's Inter Miami CF in Major League Soccer (MLS) may be an excellent option. Ronaldo can increase the popularity of football in the United States by playing at the age of 36. Besides, Miami is a great place to live. Inter Miami would be the most perfect destination for Ronaldo at the moment if he can give up the temptation to play in a competitive league in Europe. But will a competitive footballer Ronaldo choose this option? Read: How European football is badly affected by the pandemic covid-19? Verdict Juventus are currently fighting hard to finish the top four in Serie A. Cristiano Ronaldo will remain in the squad if they can secure next season's Champions League spot at the end of the season. If not, potential destinations for Ronaldo could be the above-mentioned clubs. Therefore, he could be seen playing for another club next season. With one year left on his contract with Juventus, it is expected that interested clubs will not have to spend a lot of money to obtain Ronaldo. Read: Football Transfers 2021: The hot favorites to replace Sergio Aguero at Man City

Bayern Munich remains in turmoil due to internal disagreements about which players to sign and sell.

Robert Lewandowski won the biggest individual prize of his career Thursday, showing that a forward not named Messi or Ronaldo can be voted the world’s best soccer player.

Bayern Munich has confirmed interim coach Hansi Flick will stay in charge until at least the end of the season.