Lennart Karl had to be substituted injured in the Bundesliga match against SC Freiburg. The 17-year-old left the pitch for the dressing room immediately after his substitution.
Karl was one of the most eye-catching players on the pitch in the early stages. The attacking player first scored to make it 1:2 and later set up Michael Olise’s equalizer. He repeatedly looked for the way to goal, dribbled his way through and was a constant source of trouble for the Freiburg defence. He was also denied a supposed second goal – due to offside.
The shock moment came in the 70th minute: Karl remained on the ground after a tackle, showed signs of pain and had to be treated. He left the pitch a short time later together with the support staff and disappeared straight into the catacombs. Nicolas Jackson came on for him – and scored the 5:2 for Bayern just a few minutes after coming on.
Karl again with Bayern record
According to the match statistics, Karl was involved in four shots on goal up until his substitution, scored three times himself and thus had the most shots of any Munich player. His goal in the 22nd minute and his assist shortly before the break made him the youngest Bayern player in Bundesliga history to score and assist in the same match. Karl had already impressed with consistently strong performances in recent weeks.
It is currently unclear how serious the injury is, but one thing is clear: the exceptional youngster was once again well on the way to living up to his role as a beacon of hope. A prolonged absence would not only come at an inopportune time for Karl personally, but also for Bayern and coach Vincent Kompany. In view of the upcoming tasks, the absence of the attacking gem would be a sporting setback.