• As always, let’s begin with a look at the starting XI for Aaron Danks:

• There were not many surprises in the starting XI. Harry Kane getting some rest was not a shock. Perhaps the biggest eyebrow-raisers were the inclusion of Hiroki Itō and the exclusion of Alphonso Davies. The Canadian entered the game at halftime, though, so it was probably just a matter of which half he was going to play before Der Klassiker this weekend.
• Bayern Munich did not wait too long to get going. In the 10th minute, Lennart Karl threaded a perfect ball down the middle to Ismael Saibari, who could have gone on his own, but unselfishly slid a ball to his right to Olise, who deftly finished it for a 1-0 lead.
• As it turns out, Bayern Munich would need that goal. Four minutes later, FC Magdeburg quickly got out on a counterattack after Konrad Laimer failed to dribble through what seemed like the entire visiting squad. On the break, Bayern Munich loanee Felipe Chávez found Mateusz Żukowski, whose long-distance shot deflected off Itō, stunning a prone Jonas Urbig to tie the game at 1-1.
• In the 21st minute, Olise returned the favor to Saibari and fed the Moroccan, who perfectly timed his run again to make it 2-1.
• It was pretty clear that Bayern Munich was going to be able to score at will. It would really just be a matter of whether or not the Bavarians could avoid silly mistakes.
• Tom Bischof had a good look in the 24th minute, but sent his attempt wide of the net.
• Bayern Munich’s press and attacking aggression wore down FC Magdeburg early on.
• Soon after Davies entered the game, he drew a penalty, which Olise buried to make it 3-1.
• Josip Stanišić had a really nice game, while it is easy to discount the competition (it was a 2. Bundesliga side, after all).
• FC Magdeburg had its moment with the goal in the first half, but really could not mount much after that.
• Karl had a good rip in the 59th minute, but caught too much of the center of the net.
• In the 70th minute, Karl timed his run excellently and received a pass from the freshly returned Aleksandar Pavlović, whose pass was sublime. From there, Karl chipped a ball to the back post, which Davies hastily deposited for a 4-1 advantage.
• Karl played a key role in the next Bayern Munich goal as well, sending a diagonal cross into the box to Davies, who chested the ball to Nathaniel Brown for a goal.
• It was a good and productive game for Karl, who was much more assertive and active than we have seen in some of his previous outings. The talent is there, but does he have the drive to continue to work hard off the ball and do all of the little parts of the game that were such a focus for him last season?
• In the 87th minute, Karl took a massive hip-check from Anselmo García MacNulty that sent him flying head over heels. The youngster was hurting on what was a dirty play. He did get up, though, and continued onward. Good on Karl for showing some toughness there—never let your opponent see you hurting. Karl even attempted a wild bicycle kick in added time that went awry. A for effort, though.
• FC Magdeburg got really loose with challenges late in the game. Bayern Munich should have brought on Marty McSorley to establish some control.
• On Bayern Munich’s final play, David Santos Daiber (welcome back, kid) ripped a perfectly placed shot to make it 6-1 and end the game.
• Overall, Bayern Munich was dominant from start to finish with very little hiccups in between. A match like this was probably needed, given the state of the team, especially ahead of Der Klassiker.

Liverpool hold Borussia Dortmund midfielder Felix Nmecha in “high regard”, Sky Germany has revealed. While the 26-year-old is not currently a priority target, that could change in the future as the Reds target reinforcements in his position. Monaco’s Lamine Camara and Bournemouth’s Alex Scott are both on Liverpool’s central midfielder shortlist, players who have also been linked with the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United in recent months. Nmecha, meanwhile, is under contract at Dortmund until June 2030, having joined the club in 2023 from Wolfsburg.

Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City have seen their slim hopes of landing Desire Doue dealt a blow, with contract talks between the Paris Saint-Germain forward and the French champions progressing, TEAMtalk understands.

Doue’s current deal runs until 2029, but discussions over an extension are advancing, with a new agreement expected to keep him in Paris well into the next decade.

While a deal is not yet complete, PSG are keen to secure the long-term future of one of their most important young players.

The Premier League trio have monitored the 20-year-old as they assess potential attacking reinforcements, with checks made on his situation earlier this year.

However, all three were given the clear message that Doue was not looking to leave PSG and was ready to commit his future to the club.

Bayern Munich have also retained an interest in Doue after failing to sign him ahead of PSG in 2024, when he left Rennes to join the European champions.

Former Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho has turned down an offer from Getafe after receiving a lucrative proposal from Saudi Arabia, according to Marca. The 26-year-old is a free agent and had requested a net salary of €3 million through the end of the season, which exceeded Getafe’s financial capabilities.

In football, everything can change quickly, and Jürgen Klopp’s national team proves it once again. From benchwarmer to “Mr. Europe” and now a savior: it’s still too early to talk about a potential buyback, especially since the wealthy Bayern Munich is always keeping a close eye on the player, on the hunt for an alternative to Ballon d’Or winner Harry Kane. Woltemade’s future is now. Nick may not be a goal-scoring machine or even a true center forward, but he’s more than enough right now for the Juventus coach to feel more secure on the field.

Julian Nagelsmann is said to be among the candidates for the vacant coaching position at Fenerbahçe! 😯

Do you think he’s up for the task in Istanbul?

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