Teenage star Lennart Karl scores again as Bayern fight back to beat Sporting

Lennart Karl became the youngest player to score in three successive Champions League games as Bayern Munich fought back to beat Sporting 3-1 at Allianz Arena.

Karl, 17 years and 290 days, put Bayern 2-1 up after Serge Gnabry had cancelled out Joshua Kimmich’s own goal and Jonathan Tah added the German champions’ third as they climbed level on points with Arsenal at the top of the table.

Midfielder Karl became Bayern’s youngest-ever Champions League goalscorer in October when he scored in a 4-0 win against Brugge and netted his second in last month’s 3-1 defeat at Arsenal.

Vincent Kompany’s side beat Stuttgart 5-0 on Saturday to make it three wins in a row, with 11 goals scored, since their only defeat of the season in the previous round against the Gunners.

Teenager Karl thought he had given Bayern an early lead against Sporting, but his effort was ruled out by VAR for offside.

Sporting goalkeeper Rui Silva was largely responsible for a goalless first half as he produced fine saves to deny Gnabry and Karl before the break, while England striker Harry Kane’s low shot from outside the box in the 37th minute hit a post.

Sporting, beaten 12-1 on aggregate the last time the two sides met in the competition in 2009, rode their luck before the interval before stunning Bayern by taking a 54th-minute lead.

Rui Borges’ side broke swiftly down the left and Kimmich diverted Joao Simoes’ low cross into his own net.

Bayern equalised nine minutes later when the unmarked Gnabry volleyed home at the far post from Michael Olise’s corner and Karl took a brilliant touch from Konrad Laimer’s 69th-minute cross before firing home at the near post to give his side a 2-1 lead.

Defender Tah added Bayern’s third in the 77th minute from inside the box after Sporting had failed to clear a free-kick.

Bayern were not at their best but closed in on automatic qualification for the knock-out phase after extending their unbeaten home run in the Champions League group/league phase to 37 matches, stretching back to 2013.