Jérôme Boateng’s decisive goal secures Bayern Munich victory over Manchester City
Bayern Munich defender Jérôme Boateng emerged as the hero on Wednesday night, scoring the only goal in a tightly contested Champions League clash against Manchester City. The German international’s late strike secured a vital 1-0 victory for the Bavarian giants, marking a strong start to their European campaign.
Boateng, who showed composure to control and deflect the ball into the net, expressed his delight after the match. “I scored at the right time. I managed to control the ball perfectly and deflect it. I’m absolutely delighted. We put in a good performance and this goal was fantastic for me,” he said.
The German defender acknowledged the quality of their opponents but remained confident throughout the encounter. “When you play against world-class teams, you always have the possibility of conceding a goal, so we’re happy with how things went for us. We were never really worried, even though an opponent like City is always dangerous. We got off to a good start,” Boateng added.
Bayern’s head coach Pep Guardiola praised his team’s resilience and spirit after a challenging opening period dominated by the English side. “City were the better team in the first 20 minutes, but after that we dominated. We created a lot of chances, which is not easy against a team like that. We played with our hearts and showed that we wanted this victory,” the Spanish manager said.
Guardiola also paid tribute to Manchester City’s tactical discipline and the influence of their manager Manuel Pellegrini. “The most difficult thing in football is to score a goal. I know Manuel Pellegrini very well and his defence was almost perfect,” he remarked.
Looking ahead, Guardiola identified Manchester City as one of the strong contenders for this season’s Champions League trophy. “In my opinion, there are six or seven teams that can win this Champions League, and City is one of them,” he said.
With this crucial win under their belt, Bayern Munich will aim to build on their momentum as the group stages progress. Meanwhile, Manchester City will regroup and look to respond strongly in their next fixtures.
