Bayern Munich comfortably defeated Slovan Bratislava 3-1 in their final Champions League group-stage match on Wednesday, but despite the victory, the Bavarians were unable to finish in the top eight and automatically qualify for the Round of 16. As a result, Bayern will now enter the playoff stage to secure their place in the knockout round.
Needing a significant win to have any chance of finishing in the top eight, Bayern dominated possession early, holding nearly 80 percent of the ball. Their dominance paid off quickly when Joshua Kimmich delivered a perfect cross into the box, allowing Thomas Müller to head in the opening goal after just eight minutes.
Bayern continued to press for more goals, but they were nearly caught out when Manuel Neuer made a spectacular save to deny Tigran Barseghyan’s counter-attacking effort in the 28th minute, keeping his side in the lead. Harry Kane also came close to adding a second before halftime but found better success in the 63rd minute, heading home to make it 2-0.
With their eyes set on more goals, Bayern set a new Champions League record with their 34th consecutive unbeaten home match in the group/league phase of the competition. Leroy Sané hit the woodwork, and Kingsley Coman eventually made it 3-0, putting the game seemingly out of reach.
However, Bayern’s defensive lapses allowed Slovan Bratislava to pull one back in second-half stoppage time when Marko Tolic scored, leaving Bayern with a bittersweet victory. The result saw Bayern finish 12th in the standings with 15 points from eight matches, while Slovan ended in 35th.
With the top eight automatically qualifying for the knockout rounds, Bayern will now prepare for the playoff stage, where they will have to fight for their place in the Round of 16. The draw for the playoffs will take place on Friday.
