MUNICH: Bayern Munich’s latest star, 17-year-old Lennart Karl, scored again as his team extended their perfect start to the Bundesliga season by racking up their 13th win in a row in all competitions.
Three days after becoming Bayern’s youngest-ever Champions League goalscorer, Karl hit a curling shot from outside the box for his first Bundesliga goal, Bayern’s third in a 3-0 win over Borussia Moenchengladbach.
Karl again made an impact almost immediately off the bench, after scoring in the fifth minute against Club Brugge on Wednesday.
Despite being last in the Bundesliga and reduced to 10 players after a 19th-minute red card, Gladbach stopped Bayern scoring for longer than any other team has this season.
Just as frustration seemed to be mounting after a Harry Kane goal was ruled offside, captain Joshua Kimmich got the breakthrough in the 64th minute.
Set up by substitute Serge Gnabry, who had just come on, Kimmich’s first shot was blocked but he scored off the rebound.
Bayern doubled their lead five minutes later when Michael Olize played a smart pass that gave Raphael Guerreiro plenty of space to score with a low shot.
Soon after, Kevin Stöger hit the post with a penalty which could have brought Gladbach back into the game, before Karl’s goal sealed the win for Bayern.
Leipzig rout Augsburg
Second-place Leipzig kept pace with Bayern, albeit five points adrift, by demolishing Augsburg 6-0. Six different players scored the goals as 19-year-old Assan Ouédraogo scored one goal and set up another.
It’s the fifth loss in eight games for ex-Bayern striker Sandro Wagner in his first job as a Bundesliga coach with Augsburg, and the first time his team have failed to score.
Eintracht Frankfurt bounced back from their 5-1 loss to Liverpool in the Champions League as Jonathan Burkardt scored both goals in a 2-0 win at home over St. Pauli.
That ended a four-game winless run for Frankfurt in all competitions.
Also Saturday, Adam Daghim scored the only goal as Wolfsburg beat Hamburger SV 1-0. Hoffenheim won 3-1 against Heidenheim.
Borussia Dortmund plays Cologne later Saturday.
Bayern Munich teenager Karl scores again as winning run continues in the Bundesliga
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Bayern Munich teenager Karl scores again as winning run continues in the Bundesliga
- Karl hit a curling shot from outside the box for his first Bundesliga goal
- Set up by substitute Serge Gnabry, who had just come on, Kimmich’s first shot was blocked but he scored off the rebound
Dakar Rally Saudi Arabia 2026 countdown begins ahead of Jan. 3 start
- * Redesigned course introduces fresh challenges that will raise the intensity of competition
- * Event highlights Kingdom’s aims of becoming a global leader in motorsport, says Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal, SAMF chairman
JEDDAH: The countdown for Dakar Rally Saudi Arabia 2026, one of the world’s toughest rally events, has begun with less than a month remaining before the seventh consecutive edition hosted in the Kingdom gets underway.
The rally will take place from Jan. 3-17 under the supervision of the Ministry of Sport. It will be organized by the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation and promoted by the Saudi Motorsport Company.
Global attention will be focused on the rally as competitors prepare for a gruelling test across Saudi Arabia’s vast and varied terrain.
The upcoming edition is set to be one of the most distinctive yet, featuring a new route that will give competitors the chance to experience the Kingdom’s natural beauty, varied landscapes and historic sites.
The redesigned course introduces fresh challenges that will raise the intensity of competition, adding excitement throughout every stage.
Prince Khalid bin Sultan Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal, chairman of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation and the Saudi Motorsport Company, said: “The Dakar Rally is more than just a race; it is part of the Kingdom’s ambitious journey toward becoming a global leader in motorsport.”
This year’s rally marked a pivotal moment for Saudi motorsport when Yazeed Al-Rajhi became the first Saudi driver to claim the title in the cars category.
“It’s a milestone we are all proud of and hope to see repeated next year,” Prince Khalid said.
The SAMF chairman added: “What makes us especially proud this year is the rising number of Saudi drivers taking part, a clear indication of the success of our talent-development initiatives and next-generation programs. These achievements are the result of national efforts we all take pride in.”
Dakar Saudi Arabia 2026 will welcome 812 competitors representing 69 countries, competing with 433 vehicles across eight categories: Ultimate B, Ultimate, Stock, Challenger, Side-by-Side, Trucks, in addition to motorbikes and quad bikes. The rally will cover a total distance of 7,999 km, including 4,845 km of timed special stages.
Competition begins on Jan. 3, with a 23 km prologue stage in Yanbu, followed by stage 1 on Jan. 4 over 305 km starting and finishing in Yanbu.
Stage 2 will take place on Jan. 5 from Yanbu to AlUla (400 km), with stage 3 held in AlUla on Jan. 6 (422 km). Stage 4 follows on Jan. 7 from AlUla to the Marathon Camp (451 km).
Stage 5 runs on Jan. 8 from the Marathon Camp to Hail (372 km), and stage 6 on Jan. 9 from Hail to Riyadh (336 km).
Jan. 10 will be a rest day for the competitors in Riyadh.
Action continues Jan. 11 with stage 7 from Riyadh to Wadi Al-Dawasir (462 km), followed by stage 8 on Jan. 12 in Wadi Al-Dawasir (481 km). Stage 9 will run on Jan. 13 January toward the Marathon Camp (410 km). The rally moves on to stage 10 on Jan. 14 from the Marathon Camp to Bisha (421 km), then stage 11 on Jan. 15 from Bisha to Al-Hanakiyah (347 km).
Stage 12 follows on Jan. 16 January from Al-Hanakiyah to Yanbu (310 km), before the event concludes with the 13th and final stage in Yanbu on Jan. 17, covering 105 km.
All distances listed refer to timed special stages.
