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Teenager Lennart Karl’s impressive performance raised concerns for Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany about the impact of the ensuing attention.
Lennart Karl celebrates after scoring his maiden Champions League goal. (AP Photo)
17-year-old Lennart Karl seized his first Champions League start and capitalised on it brilliantly. Within five minutes of kickoff against Club Brugge on Wednesday, Karl became Bayern’s youngest Champions League goalscorer, surpassing the record set by Jamal Musiala.
Karl’s impressive performance raised concerns for Bayern coach Vincent Kompany about the impact of the ensuing attention on his young winger.
“I’m not a fan of hype, and now he will be getting some of that. I’m a fan of training and calm,” Kompany told broadcaster DAZN. “His performance today was good. Everyone knows he can score goals, and if he keeps going like this, he’ll get a chance and maybe at the right time he’ll need a bit of calm.”
Karl received a pass in midfield from Jonathan Tah, skilfully bypassed defender Brandon Mechele, and advanced to the edge of the Brugge box before unleashing a swerving left-foot shot that soared over goalkeeper Nordin Jackers.
Karl celebrated with a knee slide in the corner before Bayern striker Harry Kane and midfielder Aleksandar Pavlovic joined him in celebration. The Munich crowd gave Karl a standing ovation when he was substituted in the 69th minute.
Karl’s goal set Bayern on course for a 4-0 victory, featuring two other notable goals. Kane scored his 20th of the season in all competitions with a simple tap-in from a Konrad Laimer cross, and Luis Díaz scored his first Champions League goal for Bayern since joining from Liverpool. Nicolas Jackson completed the 4-0 win with a rebound in the 79th minute.
Bayern is now one of five teams in the league stage to have won all three of its games so far.
At 17 years, 242 days old, Karl broke the record set by Musiala, who was 121 days older when he scored against Lazio in a round-of-16 game four years ago, according to UEFA.
Karl wears the same shirt number, 42, that Musiala wore in that game.
This goal marks Karl’s first senior club goal in his 10th Bayern appearance across all competitions. He made his debut at the Club World Cup in a 10-0 victory over Auckland City in June.
Feroz Khan has been covering sports for over 12 years now and is currently working with Network18 as Principal Correspondent. He embarked on his journey in 2011 and has since acquired vast experience in digital…Read More
Feroz Khan has been covering sports for over 12 years now and is currently working with Network18 as Principal Correspondent. He embarked on his journey in 2011 and has since acquired vast experience in digital… Read More
October 23, 2025, 09:30 IST
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