MUNICH — Champions Bayern Munich eased past Borussia Moenchengladbach 2-0 in the Bundesliga on Saturday as club icon Thomas Müller bid farewell in his final home game after 25 years at the club.
The 35-year-old Müller, who came through the Bayern youth ranks to win dozens of titles including a record 13 league crowns and two Champions League trophies, was the focus even before the start.
Bayern Munich defender Josip Stanisic caught some flak during his side’s 2-2 draw vs. Inter Milan on Wednesday when he shoved over one of the opposing ball boys. A Stanisic apology was issued for the incident.
Late in the contest with Inter leading 4-3 on aggregate, the ball went out for a throw in with Stanisic the nearest to it. In a sneaky attempt to waste some of Bayern’s precious seconds, the Inter ball boy rolled the game ball away from Stanisic.
The 25-year-old retaliated to the stunt by pushing the youngster off his seat and onto his back.
Bayern Munich crowd favorite Thomas Müller will leave the German record champions at the end of the season after 25 trophy-laden years because he was not offered another contract, he said on Saturday.
In a message on social media, the 35-year-old attacking midfielder, who started as a youth player and won a record 12 league crowns with Bayern - the most by any Bundesliga player - said he would have liked to stay on.
Thomas Müller leaving Bayern
Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies will be out for the rest of the season after suffering a torn ACL during Sunday’s Concacaf Nations League third-place match vs. the United States. The Canadian’s personal team has pointed the blame at national team coach Jesse Marsch.
Nedal Huoseh, Davies’ agent, put out a scathing statement directed at Marsch claiming the American coach pressured Davies into playing the third-place game despite not being fully fit.
Alphonso Davies agent calls out Marsch
The Champions League last-16 draw threw up some mouth-watering matches with holders Real Madrid playing local rivals Atletico Madrid while Bayern Munich were drawn against Bundesliga title challengers Bayer Leverkusen on Friday.
Champions League draw bracket
BARCELONA — Barcelona captain Raphinha scored a hat-trick to lead them to a commanding 4-1 home victory over Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday, ending a near decade-long winless run against the German powerhouse.
After six consecutive losses in which they were outscored 22 goals to four by Bayern, including a humiliating 8-2 defeat in the Champions League quarter-finals four years ago, Barcelona got their revenge with a great attacking performance led by their Brazilian captain.
Barcelona vs Bayern highlights
Bayern Munich icon Thomas Müller rarely puts a foot wrong with a pedigree of German precision and killer instinct. During a Bayern training session, the 35-year-old finally made a mistake as he tripped and ate metaphorical feces.
Thomas Müller trips during training
The UEFA Champions League has confirmed the fixtures for the new "league phase" format for the 2024/25 season. The draw marks a significant change from the traditional group stage format, with a shift towards a league phase that includes 36 teams, an increase from the previous 32.
Spoiler: Paris Saint-Germain are not liking the new format.
Pot 1 fixtures:
We're almost certain you don't remember all of them.
The journey of U.S. men's national team soccer players in Europe has been filled with a number of successful, as well as forgotten stints at some of the most prestigious clubs in the world.
Some names have become synonymous with their European teams, others had brief or forgotten spells that have slipped under most of the fandom's radar.
MADRID — Real Madrid striker Joselu was in dreamland after he came on in the dying moments of their Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich on Wednesday and turned the game on its head with two goals to snatch a stunning victory.
Joselu, whose journeyman career has included spells at clubs such as Hoffenheim, Eintracht Frankfurt, Hannover 96, Stoke City and Newcastle United, only touched the ball a few times in their 2-1 second-leg win, but it was a night he is likely to remember for a long time.