Manchester United’s Champions League return ended in disappointment as Harry Kane struck from the spot for Bayern Munich in an entertaining 4-3 win kicked off by Andre Onana’s clanger.
The European heavyweights are at very different stages right now, with the perennial Bundesliga champions second favourites to win a competition that the Red Devils did not even feature in last season.
Absentee-hit United began brightly enough at the Allianz Arena, only for Serge Gnabry to score shortly after ex-Manchester City forward Leroy Sane’s effort squirmed past summer signing Onana.
Rasmus Hojlund scored his first goal for the club but Kane quickly slammed home a penalty, with Casemiro scoring either side of Mathys Tel’s stoppage-time strike as the Red Devils suffered a fourth defeat in five matches.
Few could argue with the eventual outcome, but United had started brightly in Bavaria and should have gone ahead through Facundo Pellistri or Christian Eriksen inside four minutes.
Bayern, who were without suspended boss Thomas Tuchel on the touchline, shook off initial sluggishness, with Sane’s strike beating distraught Onana before Gnabry fired home four minutes later.
Hojlund’s effort off the heel of Kim Min-jae shortly after half-time brought hope to Erik ten Hag’s men, only for Eriksen to soon be adjudged to have handled.
Ex-Tottenham team-mate Kane scored the resulting spot-kick, with Casemiro’s brace sandwiching Tel’s strike during a dramatic conclusion to the Group A opener.
