Jonas Urbig returns amid injury crisis as Bayern beat Atalanta
A week after sustaining a concussion, Jonas Urbig was back in goal to guide Bayern Munich past Atalanta and into the Champions League quarterfinals on Wednesday.
Urbig returned amid an injury crisis that nearly meant a chance for 16-year-old goalkeeper Leonard Prescott in the Champions League round-of-16 second-leg game.
Urbig faced eight shots on target as Bayern won 4-1 to wrap up a 10-2 aggregate win. He kicked the post in frustration after Lazar Samardzic managed to head in a consolation goal for Atalanta in the 85th.
Bayern striker Harry Kane joked he was relieved not to be called upon to repeat his feat from 2014, when he had to step in as goalkeeper for Tottenham in a Europa League game when Hugo Lloris was sent off.
“I had my time in goal and I’m one and done, to be honest,” Kane told broadcaster DAZN. “Obviously, Jonas was looking good and it was great for him to be able to play for us today.”
Urbig, normally Bayern’s second choice in goal, sustained a concussion after colliding with an opponent when Bayern won the first leg 6-1 last week. Fellow goalkeepers Manuel Neuer and Sven Ulreich have injuries too and weren’t in the squad.
Urbig was named in the starting lineup just over an hour before kickoff. Prescott and the 19-year-old Jannis Bartl were on the bench.
Bayern coach Vincent Kompany said Tuesday that Urbig’s return would be a “purely medical decision” and he’d been training as normal. New York-born Prescott was on the bench for the team’s Bundesliga game Saturday when third-choice Ulreich tore an adductor muscle. Kompany had said Prescott would be the preferred option if Urbig couldn’t play. Another 16-year-old did get a debut as defender Filip Pavic came off the bench at right back, becoming Bayern’s youngest-ever Champions League player. Bayern has also been dealing with injuries to left back Alphonso Davies and forward Jamal Musiala after last week’s win at Atalanta.
Harry Kane was back in Bayern’s starting lineup for the first time since Feb. 28 after a calf issue, and scored twice.
