Sporting Lisbon had gone ahead when João Simões forced an own-goal from Joshua Kimmich during a swift counterattack, punishing Bayern for a sluggish opening spell. But the Bundesliga champions responded with authority after the hour mark, first through Serge Gnabry, who capitalised on poor marking at a 65th-minute corner to fire in the equaliser.
Just four minutes later, Karl produced the night’s standout moment. The teenager controlled a lofted pass from Konrad Laimer mid-air, took a deft touch, and smashed a tight-angle volley over two closing defenders and beyond the goalkeeper. It was his third goal in only four Champions League appearances, reinforcing his status as one of Germany’s most exciting emerging talents. Karl had already made history in October, becoming Bayern’s youngest-ever scorer in the competition.
Jonathan Tah sealed the win in the 77th minute, turning Bayern’s recovery into a comfortable result. The match also marked a positive return for Alphonso Davies, who came off the bench for his first appearance since suffering a serious knee injury in March.
Olympiacos Earn Crucial Away Victory
Elsewhere on Tuesday, Olympiacos kept their knockout-stage ambitions alive with a hard-fought 1–0 win over Kairat Almaty in Kazakhstan. Gelson Martins broke the deadlock in the 73rd minute, finally finding a way through the hosts’ compact defensive setup.
Spotlight on Liverpool as Salah Saga Deepens
Attention now shifts to Liverpool ahead of their clash with Inter Milan. The Premier League side travel to Italy without Mohamed Salah, who was left out of the squad following his weekend comment that the club had “thrown [him] under the bus.” Manager Arne Slot must now show his side can perform without the Egyptian star as pressure mounts.
It is a high-stakes night across the continent, with multiple European heavyweights in action.
Barcelona, reeling from a 3–0 defeat to Chelsea in their last Champions League outing, aim to steady themselves at home against a struggling Eintracht Frankfurt side. Chelsea, unbeaten in four matches and pushing to cement a top-eight position guaranteeing automatic entry to the round of 16, travel to Atalanta.
Tottenham look to regroup after a chaotic 5–3 loss to Paris Saint-Germain and will fancy their chances against Slavia Prague. In other fixtures, Atletico Madrid meet PSV Eindhoven, Monaco host Galatasaray, and Union Saint-Gilloise face Marseille.