Bayern dominated Atlético from the opening whistle and secured a 2-0 victory with goals from Karl and Laimer. The German side, missing several key players, controlled possession and repeatedly forced Atlético to defend, while Diego Simeone’s team struggled to create chances of its own.
Atlético’s main threat came from Alexander Sørloth, selected to lead the attack after recovering from injury. Simeone’s plan included long passes toward the Norwegian striker to bypass Bayern’s high press, but the visitors rarely managed to turn those attempts into sustained pressure. A Pablo Barrios shot that deflected off a defender and a dangerous cross from Marc Pubill were among Atlético’s limited first-half opportunities.
Bayern dictated the pace through Joshua Kimmich and 21-year-old Aleksandar Pavlović’s replacement, Bischof, while Michael Olise and others also helped keep the hosts on the back foot. Karl came close before the break with a shot from the edge of the area, and Harry Kane threatened as Bayern continued to build pressure.
The breakthrough came after the interval. Atlético defender Robin Le Normand failed to deal with a cross, allowing Karl to take advantage, round goalkeeper Jan Oblak and score. Simeone responded with a triple substitution, bringing on Kang-In Lee, Ademola Lookman and Koke. Atlético briefly looked more competitive, and Marcos Llorente tested Manuel Neuer, but Bayern soon restored control.
Kane set up Laimer with a pass across the area, and the midfielder struck the ball into the net to make it 2-0. The result leaves Atlético with four matches remaining and the task of winning at least three to reach the top 24 without difficulty. Bayern, meanwhile, had eight points from four games in the standings included in the report.
Sources: El País Deportes.