Bayern’s Karl after CL masterclass: "I feel no pressure" | OneFootball

What an evening for Lennart Karl! The 17-year-old fired FC Bayern to a 4-0 home victory over Club Brugge with a dream goal, was named Man of the Match by UEFA – and made history. Despite the hype surrounding him, the youngster remains remarkably down-to-earth.

In the Champions League home match against the Belgian runners-up, Karl put Munich ahead in the 5th minute with a powerful long-range shot. It was a goal full of symbolism – and one that broke several records at once.

The Munich native became the youngest goalscorer in FC Bayern’s Champions League history with his goal, and at the same time the youngest German scorer ever in Europe’s premier competition. At 17 years and 242 days old, he surpassed his teammate Jamal Musiala, who had held the previous record since 2021.

Karl remains calm despite the hype

After the match, the young player appeared happy but surprisingly composed in his interview with DAZN. “I’m very happy about the goal, about my performance. I’m the type of player who isn’t afraid and takes his chances. It’s just fun with the team,” Karl explained.

His words show that, despite all the attention, the 17-year-old keeps his feet on the ground. “Now I’ve scored my first goal, now a lot of people are watching me. But I don’t feel any pressure. I just have to keep going, just keep it up,” said the talent, who comes from Bayern’s youth academy and has only been regularly in the first-team squad for a few months.

With the trust of coach Vincent Kompany, who gave him his starting debut in the Champions League against Brugge, Karl seems to have finally taken the next step.

Record, maturity, and a bright future

His debut goal was not only a sporting highlight, but also a statement for the new Bayern approach under Kompany: young, courageous players from the club’s own academy are to be more strongly integrated. Karl embodies exactly this approach – technically strong, bold in front of goal, and with an outstanding understanding of the game.

This season, the attacking midfielder has already appeared five times in the Bundesliga and provided an assist in the 4-1 away win at Hoffenheim. The goal against Brugge was his first for the senior team – and could be the start of a special career.

Off the pitch as well, Karl is making a great impression at the record champions. Teammates like Aleksandar Pavlovic raved about his carefree attitude after the match: “He’s just got the guts. He proved that again today.”

If the 17-year-old continues like this, he’s likely to secure more than just a place in the spotlight in Munich very soon. But Karl himself isn’t thinking about resting on his laurels – instead, his motto remains clear: “Just keep going.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.