Bayern Munich records a narrow victory despite Kane’s penalty miss after leaving the Champions League

Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane missed a penalty as the Bundesliga champions failed to reach top form but still beat VfL Wolfsburg 1-0 on Saturday with a goal from Michael Olise after their Champions League semi-final exit to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in midweek.

Bayern suffered a 6-5 aggregate loss to holders Paris St. Germain after the 1-1 draw in Munich on Wednesday, narrowly missing out on their first Champions League final in six years after beating PSG in the 2020 showpiece.

The frustration was clear at the start on Saturday when the Bavarians, with six substitutions, lacked their usual attacking force, despite having top scorer Kane in the starting 11.

Kane then squandered a penalty in the 36th minute, slipping slightly before missing the target, for his first missed penalty in the Bundesliga after 24 successful penalties.

Video replays later showed a Wolfsburg player repeatedly stepping on the penalty spot before Kane took his penalty.

Coach Vincent Kompany said that if that had been the case on Wednesday, Bayern’s players would have been more alert in protecting the penalty spot.

“If that happened on Wednesday, we might have two or three people around that penalty spot (to protect it),” Kompany told a news conference. “I don’t like that the Wolfsburg player does that, but I understand the mentality.

«The most important thing is that we played against a team that was ready to give everything to win this match. We didn’t really start that bad, but we quickly lost all momentum. Wolfsburg became more dangerous. Respect how my team reacted and how they played a much better second half,» Kompany said.

The visitor needed more than one half to get into place and finally broke the deadlock with Olise’s beautifully curled shot into the top corner in the 56th minute.

Wolves, who were six points behind Werder Bremen in the relegation places, became more desperate for an equalizer ahead of the final matchday next week and Bayern found more space and went close again with Kane’s low shot on the hour mark.

Wolfsburg missed their best chance in the 89th when substitute Mattias Svanberg hit the post with only goalkeeper Jonas Urbig to beat.

Bayern, who can still win the domestic double when they face VfB Stuttgart in the German Cup final on May 23, have 86 points. Second-placed Borussia Dortmund (70) and third-placed RB Leipzig (65) are already assured of a place in the Champions League.

Stuttgart is fourth, equal with fifth-placed Hoffenheim on 61 points. The top four teams automatically qualify for next season’s Champions League.

Published on May 10, 2026