Bayern Munich hosted Croatian champions Dinamo Zagreb at the Allianz Arena in their 2024/2025 UEFA Champions League opener, making it the first time the German side competed in the tournament’s new group stage format. The Allianz Arena, which will also host this season’s final, saw Bayern deliver a historic 9-2 victory, setting a new record for the largest winning margin in the competition’s history. Bayern Munich manager, Vincent Kompany opted for a 4-2-3-1 setup, featuring Manuel Neuer between the posts and Harry Kane as the central striker. Dinamo Zagreb, managed by Sergej Jakirović, opted for a defensive 5-3-2 formation, packing five defenders and three midfielders who dropped back to support the defense, with two forwards upfront. Despite this setup, Bayern broke through early, with Harry Kane opening the scoring in the 19th minute. Raphaël Guerreiro and Michael Olise added to the tally, giving the Bavarian side a commanding 3-0 lead by halftime. The party started in the 2nd half with both sides scoring eight goals in total—six for Bayern and two for Dinamo Zagreb. The visitors briefly threatened a comeback, pulling two goals back through Bruno Petković and Takuya Ogiwara. However, Bayern had other plans. Harry Kane completed his hat trick, followed by a second goal from Michael Olise, marking a brace on his Champions League debut. Leroy Sané added another with a fine finish, assisted by Thomas Müller, who made his 152nd appearance for Bayern in the competition, setting a record for the most appearances by a player for a single club in the Champions League. Leon Goretzka sealed the win with a late strike. Harry Kane’s four-goals saw him surpass Wayne Rooney as the highest-scoring English player in Champions League history, with 33 goals to Rooney’s previous record of 30. This match also marked Vincent Kompany’s managerial debut in the competition, after a great playing career with Manchester City in the competition. His team’s victory silenced critics.
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