Top 5 Bayern Munich games of 2024

With the year really drawing to a close, now it’s time for the last roundup: Bayern Munich’s best games of 2024. Let’s take a look!

5. Bayern Munich 3-0 TSG 1899 Hoffenheim

Bundesliga Matchday 17, 2023/24

January 12, Allianz Arena, Munich

Bayern’s first game of the year was a rather somber affair, overshadowed by the passing of the legendary Franz Beckenbauer. To honor Bayern’s greatest ever player, Bayern suited up in jerseys, tracksuits, and more with der Kaiser’s name and number. Even the usually rambunctious Allianz Arena crowd wasn’t at its usual volume, and stadium announcer Stephan Lehmann’s goal chants were also very subdued. Still, the entire stadium bellowing out Gute Freunde kann niemand trennen, a song Beckenbauer recorded himself, was quite a sight to see.

The game itself was a routine Bundesliga win with two goals from Jamal Musiala and a late goal from Harry Kane. Kaiser Franz was probably proudly looking down from the heavens at his team, although the results in the later parts of the season definitely wouldn’t have pleased him that much.

Photo by F. Noever/FC Bayern via Getty Images

4. Bayern Munich 2-0 SC Freiburg

Bundesliga Matchday 2, 2024/25

September 1, Allianz Arena, Munich

Another rather routine Bundesliga win, right? Well, it was, unless one counts the fact that it was the game that Thomas Müller officially became Bayern’s record appearance maker with his 710th game for the club, surpassing Sepp Maier’s record. Bayern were a goal to the good at halftime thanks to a Harry Kane penalty, but the party really got started when Müller was subbed on for Michael Olise.

Fate had it that Müller would be celebrating his milestone in style with a well taken goal that any forward would be impressed by. Even Manuel Neuer felt the need to rush upfield and celebrate with his long time teammate. The afternoon could not get more perfect, although it almost ended on a slightly sour note when Bayern conceded a last second penalty, which Freiburg blew into the stands. This game was also the debut of the highly popular current third kit.

Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images

3. Bayern Munich 1-0 Paris Saint-Germain

UEFA Champions League Matchday 5, 2024/25

November 26, Allianz Arena, Munich

Ah, PSG. A team that has gifted Bayern so many good memories over the past few years, and a couple of sour ones as well. This time, it was back to sweet settings. Vincent Kompany’s new Bayern was showing some up and down form in the Champions League, and PSG were completely in the mud, so this was a must-win game for both sides.

Despite the expectations that it would be a shootout for both sides, the game was decided by only one goal, from center back Kim Min-jae of all people. It was his first ever Champions League goal, and while it wasn’t the prettiest, it was definitely important. Otherwise, there wasn’t too much to talk about. Bayern had a man advantage for most of the second half, and Manuel Neuer took advantage of said advantage by venturing upfield to punt a pinpoint ball forward. The defense remained airtight, and Bayern emerged victorious.

Photo by Jonathan Moscrop/Getty Images

2. Bayern Munich 3-0 S.S. Lazio

UEFA Champions League Round of 16 Second Leg, 2023/24

March 5, Allianz Arena, Munich

Bayern were a goal down going into the second leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie, a result that cost then coach Thomas Tuchel his job. Were Bayern really about to suffer a Villarreal Season 2?

Thankfully, Lazio were not coached by Unai Emery, and their defense was a lot more porous. Harry Kane leveled the aggregate score before Thomas Müller scored a very Müller-esque goal to turn the tie around. It was Kane who then applied the finishing touches to ensure that Bayern would go through, avoiding an ignominious exit from the competition.

Had Bayern actually failed to turn the tie, it would have been one of the most humiliating eliminations in club history. But they did, and they went a lot further than that, which leads nicely into the final entry of the list…

Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images

1. Bayern Munich 1-0 Arsenal

UEFA Champions League Quarterfinal Second Leg, 2023/24

April 17, Allianz Arena, Munich

The situation was remarkably similar to the Lazio game. Bayern were not in a good place, having lost two straight games to Borussia Dortmund and Heidenheim. However, Thomas Tuchel somehow made a team that lost to Heidenheim go toe to toe with the vice-English champions, and a 2-2 draw at Emirates Stadium meant that there was everything to play for in the second leg a week later.

The great Juppel devised a cunning plan to shut down Arsenal’s flanks by playing both Raphaël Guerreiro and Noussair Mazraoui on the same side, with Joshua Kimmich manning the other side of the defense. Juppel’s plan worked to perfection, as in the second half, Guerreiro whipped in a sumptuous ball for Kimmich to head home and give Bayern the advantage. Bayern’s usually extremely leaky Tuchel-defense somehow held firm for the rest of the game, and the six-time European champions reached the semifinals for the first time in four years. It was also the first time Bayern were going to play Champions League football in May, since the entire tournament had been pushed back to August when they last won it in 2020.

Although Bayern narrowly lost to Real Madrid in the semifinals, it was still an admirable run. So much so that Tuchel, sorry, Juppel, almost got his job back. Thankfully, he went to coach grayer pastures in England after the season ended. But as maligned as he is, Tuchel did have his moments, and this was one of them.

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