Bayern Munich were held to a dramatic 3-3 draw by Norwegian champions Viking on Tuesday after Herman Haugen scored a late equaliser following Michael Olise’s dismissal in their Champions League encounter.
Bayern trailed 2-0 at half-time after goals from Gianni Stensness and Peter Christiansen put the hosts in a commanding position.
However, Harry Kane inspired a remarkable comeback, scoring twice and setting up another goal as Bayern fought back to lead 3-2. Their hopes of securing victory were dealt a blow when Olise received two yellow cards in quick succession, leaving the German champions a man down.
Viking capitalised on their numerical advantage, with Haugen scoring in the 90th minute to snatch a memorable draw against the European giants.
Olise’s dismissal means the France winger will miss Bayern’s blockbuster Champions League clash against English champions Arsenal in Munich next week.
Kane’s brace also extended his scoring run to nine consecutive Champions League matches, equalling a Bayern club record set by Robert Lewandowski and moving him within two matches of Cristiano Ronaldo’s competition record of 11 consecutive games with a goal.
Just days after conceding the fastest goal in Bundesliga history during Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Augsburg, Bayern found themselves behind early once again.
Stensness headed home an outswinging corner after just 72 seconds to give Viking a shock lead.
Bayern responded by increasing the pressure, but struggled to break through the hosts’ defence. Kane twice saw his headers comfortably saved by Viking goalkeeper Arild Ostbo.
Rather than sit back and protect their advantage, Viking launched a swift counter-attack and doubled their lead in the 38th minute, with top scorer Christiansen finishing off a slick attacking move.
Bayern were handed a lifeline shortly after the break when Konrad Laimer was brought down inside the penalty area, prompting the referee to point to the spot.
Kane stepped up and, after a stuttering run-up, calmly guided the ball into the bottom-right corner beyond Ostbo’s fingertips to reduce the deficit.
The England captain struck again on the hour mark, losing his marker to head home a Joshua Kimmich cross and draw Bayern level at 2-2.
Luis Diaz briefly thought he had completed the turnaround a minute later, but his effort was ruled out for offside.
The Colombian eventually put Bayern ahead in the 70th minute, benefiting from a move initiated by Kane. The striker lifted a pass towards Laimer, whose shot was saved before the rebound fell to Diaz, who made no mistake.
Bayern appeared to have secured the comeback victory until Olise’s dismissal changed the course of the match. The winger received a yellow card for a foul before picking up a second for dissent, leaving his side with 10 men and 16 minutes remaining.
Viking pressed forward in search of an equaliser and were rewarded in the 90th minute when Haugen found the net to secure a dramatic 3-3 draw.
The result denied Bayern victory despite Kane’s decisive contribution and handed Viking a memorable result against one of European football’s leading clubs.
AFP
