Izuchukwu OkosiFormer European champions Bayern Munich struck in the space of four minutes as they edged Manchester United 4-3 in a pulsating UEFA Champions League Group A tie.
Goals from Leroy Sane and Serge Gnabry in the 28th and 32nd minutes put Bayern firmly in the driver’s seat with injury-hit United, who have now lost their last three matches, pulling a goal back in the 49th through Rasmus Hojlund’s deflected effort.
United, who lost 3-1 to both Brighton and Arsenal in their previous two games, have now conceded three goals or more in three consecutive matches for the first time since December 1978.
Bayern crushed United’s hopes of a comeback four minutes later with a Harry Kane penalty, awarded for a handball by Christian Eriksen, to restore their two-goal cushion.
Casemiro slotted in from close range in the 88th minute but substitute Mathys Tel scored once more for Bayern in stoppage time. Casemiro headed in another for United with the last move of the game.
At the Emirates stadium, Arsenal made a stylish return by sweeping aside PSV Eindhoven 4-0 at Emirates Stadium after a six-year absence from the competition.
Bukayo Saka got the Gunners on the scoresheet in the eighth minute and they doubled the lead through Leandro Trossard with seven minutes left on the clock in the first half.
Gabriel Jesus made it 3-0 with a lovely finish before a 70th minute long range shot from captain Martin Ordegaard.
In the other Group B game, Sevilla drew 1-1 with Lens in Spain. United and Bayern’s group rivals – Galatasaray and Copenhagen – played out a 2-2 draw. The Danes, leading 2-0 after 73 minutes, then lost Elias Jelert to a red card and Galatasaray capitalised through Sacha Boey and Tete in the 86th and 88 minutes respectively.
Earlier, Jude Bellingham scored deep in added time as Real Madrid wore down a resilient Union Berlin to claim a 1-0 win in their Group C opener, spoiling the Bundesliga side’s Champions League debut.
The match in Madrid looked like it was heading for a draw when substitute Federico Valverde’s shot ricocheted off two players in Union’s crowded penalty area before falling to Bellingham, who turned it into the net for his sixth goal in six games this season.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio.
He worked there for 13 years until October 2017.
Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch.
He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations.
Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line.
Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.
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