Bayern Munich at a loss to explain Champions League struggles

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) — Flying in the Bundesliga, Bayern Munich is stuttering in the Champions League.

The Bavarian powerhouse lost 3-0 at Feyenoord on Wednesday for its third defeat of the campaign, denting its hopes of reaching the round of 16 without having to contest a playoff.

Bayern reserve goalkeeper Sven Ulreich was shown a red card for complaining at the end of a game in which his team missed its opportunities at one end while leaving itself susceptible to attacks at the other.

“When I see how many big chances we have again, how much we invest for a chance, how many we didn't take, and how easy we're making it at the moment for the opposition to score goals. That was very, very bad today,” Bayern midfielder Joshua Kimmich said.

Bayern had dominated all the statistics — possession, attempts at goal, corners, passes completed, balls recovered, and distance covered — except the stat that mattered.

Santiago Giménez scored twice and Ayase Ueda sealed Feyenoord’s win late on a counterattack.

“No one expected us to win and so that makes us happier. I think the most beautiful thing about this sport are these surprise nights," said Giménez, who produced what he acknowledged was a “perfect” first touch before shooting the opener.

Giménez' second was a penalty awarded after Raphaël Guerreiro fouled Calvin Stengs just after going on for the injured Alphonso Davies before the break.

Bayern’s players resorted to fouls but ultimately failed to stop Antoni Milambo from sending Ueda through to score. Leon Goretzka was subsequently booked for the foul and Harry Kane was booked for complaining in his 50th Champions League appearance.

“We have to be honest. I think Feyenoord deserved it, that’s my opinion. Not because we didn’t run. We ran. We fought,” Bayern coach Vincent Kompany said. “I always had the feeling we could have scored goals. Just in the moments when Feyenoord scored, it wasn’t such a surprise. It was like that from the start. Maybe individually and collectively it wasn’t enough today.”

Leroy Sané struck the post in the 70th minute for the closest the visitors went to scoring.

Bayern, which leads the Bundesliga by four points from defending champion Bayer Leverkusen after 18 rounds, previously also lost to Aston Villa and Barcelona in the Champions League.

It dropped to 15th in the 36-team table and will need to beat Slovan Bratislava in its final first-round game next week — at home — to keep alive any hope of finishing among the top eight to avoid a playoff.

“As people say, the table doesn’t lie,” Kimmich said. “We have to admit we’re not a top team at the moment. A top team cannot lose this game here. We’re still missing a little something.”

The Champions League final this season is to be played in Munich.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Feyenoord fans light firework during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Feyenoord and Bayern Munich, at De Kuip Stadium, in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Feyenoord's Antoni Milambo heads the ball during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Feyenoord and Bayern Munich, at De Kuip Stadium, in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Feyenoord's Santiago Gimenez celebrates with teammates after scoring his side's second goal during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Feyenoord and Bayern Munich, at De Kuip Stadium, in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Feyenoord's Ayase Ueda celebrates with Feyenoord's Jeyland Mitchell after scoring his side's third goal during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Feyenoord and Bayern Munich, at De Kuip Stadium, in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Bayern players react after Feyenoord's Ayase Ueda scoring his side's third goal during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Feyenoord and Bayern Munich, at De Kuip Stadium, in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Bayern's head coach Vincent Kompany reacts during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Feyenoord and Bayern Munich, at De Kuip Stadium, in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Bayern players react after Feyenoord's Ayase Ueda scoring his side's third goal during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Feyenoord and Bayern Munich, at De Kuip Stadium, in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Bayern's Harry Kane reacts after missing a chance to score during the Champions League opening phase soccer match between Feyenoord and Bayern Munich, at De Kuip Stadium, in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

AL HENAKIYAH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Ricky Brabec deliberately gave up his motorbike lead over Luciano Benavides in the Dakar Rally while Nasser Al-Attiyah was happy to cruise through another day closer to his sixth car title on Thursday.

Al-Attiyah started 346-kilometer stage 11 between Bisha north to Al Henakiyah with a 12-minute overall lead and let it drop to less than nine minutes over new second-placed driver Nani Roma in a Ford.

Al-Attiyah was content to let Dacia teammate Sébastien Loeb catch up and pass him to have a teammate nearby for any help and to minimize errors on the mazy, dirt track. Al-Attiyah was 17th, nearly 13 minutes behind stage winner Mattias Ekström, and said he needed to execute the same plan on Friday's last effective racing stage before the end on Saturday.

“If we lose two, three, four minutes no problem,” Al-Attiyah said. “We just need to finish this Dakar in first place.”

Honda cooked up a strategy in the Saudi desert for Adrien van Beveren to open the way and let Brabec catch up after the 190-kilometer pit stop and pick up time bonuses.

Brabec boosted his overall lead from 56 seconds to nearly four minutes just 25 kilometers from the finish. He was also within a minute of the stage lead but he slowed down so KTM rival Benavides was the new overall leader, but only by 23 seconds.

Brabec got his his wish to start Friday's stage 12 six minutes behind Benavides, so he can eye him. They head west to the rally starting point of Yanbu on the Red Sea coast on 311 kilometers of gravel, some river beds with a finish in the dunes.

“A little bit of strategy today and hopefully it pays off tomorrow,” Brabec said. "I feel like its going to be a good day. We’re going back into the rocks so it will be a little bit better for us.”

Brabec is counting on his experience of winning the Dakar in 2020 and 2024 to trump Benavides, who has a best placing of fourth last year.

“I've been in this situation before,” Brabec said. “For the whole two weeks I've been just trying to stay relax, stay comfortable and just be confident, so two days more. I'm gonna do the same thing tomorrow that I've been doing every day; ride dirt bikes and have fun.”

Van Beveren helped Brabec with navigation while fighting with another teammate, Skyler Howes, the entire day for the stage win.

Howes prevailed by 21 seconds for his first career major stage in his eighth Dakar. He was third in 2023 and sixth last year. He's running fifth, 34 minutes off the pace.

Benavides was fourth in the stage and believed the race will be decided on the final 105-kilometer sprint on Saturday.

“I played no strategy like Ricky. I don't care,” Benavides said. “I'm doing what I can to control what I can control.”

Ekström won his third car stage of this Dakar, a special so fast that 12 other drivers were within 10 minutes.

Ford achieved another 1-2-3 stage. Romain Dumas, a three-time winner of the Le Mans 24 Hours, was a career-best second just over a minute back and Carlos Sainz was third.

Only Toyota's Henk Lategan beat Ekström to a checkpoint but Lategan's podium hopes were wrecked after 140 kilometers when a bearing broke on his rear left wheel. Lategan was second last year and second overall overnight but he plunged out of the top 15, at least.

Loeb moved up to third overall, 10 minutes behind Roma and three minutes ahead of Ekström.

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

Rider Daniel Sanders competes during the eleventh stage of the Dakar Rally between Bisha and Al Henakiyah, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Jan.15, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Driver Nasser Al-Attiyah and co-driver Fabian Lurquin compete during the eleventh stage of the Dakar Rally between Bisha and Al Henakiyah, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Jan.15, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Rider Skyler Howes competes during the eleventh stage of the Dakar Rally between Bisha and Al Henakiyah, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Jan.15, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Driver Henk Lategan, left, and co-driver Brett Cummings repair their car during the eleventh stage of the Dakar Rally between Bisha and Al Henakiyah, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Jan.15, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Driver Nani Roma and co-driver Alex Haro compete during the eleventh stage of the Dakar Rally between Bisha and Al Henakiyah, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Jan.15, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)