BERLIN: Sadio Mané scored on his league debut and Bayern Munich routed Eintracht Frankfurt 6-1 to start the new Bundesliga on Friday.
Jamal Musiala got two goals and Joshua Kimmich, Benjamin Pavard and Serge Gnabry also scored as Bayern showed no ill effect from Robert Lewandowski’s summer transfer to Barcelona.
The sheer dominance against the team that won the Europa League last season shows why Bayern remain the firm favorite for a record-extending 11th consecutive title.
The Bavarian powerhouse had 17 shots at goal in the first half alone, when the visitors could also shrug off a comical miss from Thomas Müller.
Both the opening ceremony and a passionate performance of the German anthem by pop singer Carolin Niemczyk were whistled by the home fans, who marked the occasion in their own way by setting off banned pyrotechnics behind one of the goals.
It sent a huge cloud of smoke over the Frankfurt goal and may even have aided the visitors as Joshua Kimmich scored through the haze with a free kick in off the right post in the fifth minute. Frankfurt goalkeeper Kevin Trapp, who was expecting a cross, was late to react.
Benjamin Pavard made it 2-0 in the 11th on a rebound of Müller’s blocked effort.
Bayern had to wait till the 29th for Mané to get the third with a header to Serge Gnabry’s floated cross. It was the Senegalese forward’s first Bundesliga goal following his transfer from Liverpool.
Müller gave Jamal Musiala a tap-in in the 35th and Gnabry got the fifth just before halftime.
Only the break provided relief for the beleaguered home team.
Frankfurt coach Oliver Glasner reacted with three changes in the interval and was rewarded with a far more encouraging performance in the second half.
New signing Kolo Muani forced a mistake from overconfident goalkeeper Manuel Neuer to score on his league debut in the 64th.
But the visitors didn’t panic. Musiala displayed fine footwork before scoring his second in the 83rd.
Mané scores on debut, Bayern starts Bundesliga with 6-1 rout
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Mané scores on debut, Bayern starts Bundesliga with 6-1 rout
- Jamal Musiala got two goals and Joshua Kimmich, Benjamin Pavard and Serge Gnabry also scored
- The Bavarian powerhouse had 17 shots at goal in the first half alone
Dubai Basketball edge Milan to secure EuroLeague victory
DUBAI: Dubai Basketball strengthened their home-court reputation with a 99-92 win over EA7 Emporio Armani Milan in Round 18 of the EuroLeague at Coca-Cola Arena on Tuesday, cheered on by more than 5,000 fans.
The hosts made a fast start and immediately imposed themselves at both ends of the floor. Canadian center Mfiondu Kabengele and Serbian big man Filip Petrusev controlled the paint early, creating close-range scoring opportunities and forcing Milan into defensive adjustments. With McKinley Wright IV and Dwayne Bacon adding pace and penetration, Dubai surged into a double-digit lead and dictated the tempo of the opening quarter.
Milan struggled to settle and spent much of the first period on the back foot, as Dubai’s advantage stretched to 15 points. Although the visitors steadied themselves as the quarter progressed, the early deficit proved costly.
Dubai head coach Jurica Golemac praised the impact of the home crowd after the game, saying: “Congratulations to the fans. We were missing them for sure in the last home game, and they helped us a lot. In the first quarter, we played one of our best quarters this season. The next game is at home in three days, so there is no time to rest too much. We need to prepare for that game first. We are not thinking three games ahead — we prepare for every game and try to win every game.”
Milan showed improved rhythm in the second quarter, but Dubai responded before the break. Bacon punished defensive lapses from beyond the arc, while Kabengele finished strongly inside to help the hosts take a seven-point lead into halftime.
The final period was defined by composure rather than flair. Milan threatened to draw level on several occasions, but missed free throws and execution errors halted their momentum. Bacon sealed the outcome from the free-throw line in the final two minutes, pushing Dubai back into a double-digit advantage and closing out the contest.
Bacon led all scorers with 25 points, while Wright recorded 19 points and nine assists. Kabengele added 17 points, and Petrusev contributed 13 points and seven rebounds. For Milan, Guduric topped the scoring with 11 points, alongside seven rebounds and seven assists.
Dubai Basketball now turn their attention to the ABA League, where they remain unbeaten. The team return to Coca-Cola Arena to face Slovenia’s KRKA in Round 12 of the competition.
