1. FC Union Berlin lost 3-0 to FC Bayern München on a tough Saturday afternoon in the Allianz Arena. Despite an often solid and well organised performance, Harry Kane added a second goal to his 15^th minute penalty, while Kingsley Coman made it 2-0 for the hosts just before half time

FC Bayern München: Neuer - Guerreiro, Upamecano, Kim (68. Goretzka), Davies (80. Aznou)- Kimmich, Palhinha (68. Dier) - Olise (68. Sané), Musiala (74. Müller), Coman - Kane 

1. FC Union Berlin: Rönnow – Trimmel, Doekhi, Vogt (80. Roussillon), Leite, Querfeld – Kemlein (68. Schäfer), Khedira – Jeong (68. Haberer), Siebatcheu (60. Skarke), Hollerbach (60. Vertessen) 

Attendance:  75.000 

Goals: 1:0 Kane (FE, 15.), 2:0 Coman (43.), 3:0 Kane (51.)

The starting XI:

Bo Svensson made five changes to the side that started midweek’s cup loss in Bielefeld, including a surprise or two for the record champions. He began, as ever, with Frederik Rönnow in goal behind a back three of Danilho Doekhi, Kevin Vogt and Leopold Querfeld, making his first ever Bundesliga start.

And while Christopher Trimmel retained his place on the right hand side, Diogo Leite was shuttled across to the left, where he had first played in the second half against Mönchengladbach, in place of Robert Skov. They were flanking Rani Khedira and Aljoscha Kemlein (in for Andras Schäfer) in the middle, leaving Benedict Hollerbach up front alongside Jordan Siebatcheu and Wooyeong Jeong, replacing Yorbe Vertessen and László Bénes, respectively.

Rönnow with no chance from Kane’s penalty. Union counter strongly, but Coman makes it two before the break

This was always going to be the hardest way to shake off the disappointment of Wednesday night and Bielefeld, but no-one could accuse this Union side of not having had a go. They were better than the scoreline suggests, as Bo Svensson said after the final whistle, drawing time to a draining week.

“It was a very difficult task, but I think my team gave it their all and made it very difficult for Bayern today.”

He was right. Union were organised and compact, disciplined and stuck to their plan – and, though dispiriting, this was far from a disaster - but their host’s qualities showed through in the end.

Indeed, it took a minute for Union to even touch the ball from kick off, as the Bavarians pinged it between themselves, Michael Olise turning tightly, moving backwards. Leopold Querfeld got an early tackle in on Olise, though, his first as a Bundesliga starter, a chance for him to bat away any pre-match nerves.

But it was the surprising starting left-back, Diogo Leite, that made the first intervention. Leite was to have a busy day (and he performed admirably in his new role until he moved back into the middle with ten minutes to play), starting only a moment later when he gave the ball to Aljoscha Kemlein. Kemlein started a move that saw Wooyeong Jeong find Benedict Hollerbach, rushing into the box after the first of many, typically selfless pieces of holding up play by Jordan.

Bo Svensson had spoken in his press conference of the need for Union to take their chances when they came, but he also knew that they would have to be patient; they would spend more time without the ball than with it, and that was exactly how the opening phases were played out. Union were compact, sitting deep, confident in their own ability to restrict Bayern’s own chances.

He paced his technical area, his hands in his pockets, and, at first, things seemed to be going according to plan.

When Alphonso Davies finally squeezed off their first shot on goal after 12 minutes, Jeong was right there, sticking a boot in the way, to see it out for a corner that Danilho Doekhi cleared with ease.

But just when everything seemed to be under control, Oliseh burst, and Hollerbach caught him on the left-hand edge of the 18-yard box, bang on the line. The referee, Matthias Jöllenbeck, pointed straight to the spot, despite the Union player’s protestations. Harry Kane stepped up, stroking the penalty past the desperate lunge of Rönnow’s right hand. The Englishman struck it too well, Union’s stopper never had a chance.

Bayern upped the pressure, and Vogt needed to be aware to hook Davies’ cross away from the box – as Querfeld timed his tackle on Olise on the right, this time, with precision after 25 minutes. But they were still reduced to half chances, such as when Raphael Guerreiro drove straight at Rönnow after 25 minutes, or when Dayot Upamecano was crowded out when advancing into the Union box.

Still Union knew how they wanted to do things, and their next big chance came on the stroke of 30 minutes when Kemlein found Yeong with a superb ball up the right, the South Korean taking it on but choosing to square for Hollerbach when maybe he could have taken on the chance himself. 

It was a good sign, however, and it was only two minutes later that saw Jordan turn and force Manuel Neuer to palm his stinging shot over the bar from close range. He hasn’t scored yet this season, but he was getting closer, and it would have been nothing less than his tireless work deserved. He had another stab from the resulting corner, whipped in by Trimmel and headed into the crowd by Doekhi, but this time it was the hosts’ box that was packed, and there was no way through the mess of limbs.

At the other end the dangerous Jamal Musiala hit a pass across Union’s goal from their cleverly worked free kick routine, hit short to Kane, but that brief moment of worry was of nothing compared to the sight of Rani Khedira on the floor, clutching his knee having tussled with Upamecano in the box.

He struggled to his feet, grimacing, and jogged off the pitch to a pat on the back from Svensson. Union’s vice-captain is made of strong stuff. He played on.

It would take a moment of magic for Bayern to get their second, cruelly, just a couple of minutes before the break. Davies broke down the left-hand side, playing the ball in to Kane who hit it first time diagonally on towards Kingsley Coman. Coman lifted the ball over Rönnow, rushing out of his goal, with what seemed like all the time in the world.

Union re-start quickly, but Kane bags his second and buries their hopes

Union started the second half, looking to change the momentum of the game, just as they had against Eintracht, and almost immediately Doekhi  thought his volley had struck a hand in the box as he turned and scooped the ball towards Neuer’s goal. Jöllenbeck simply waved play on, he was having nothing of it.

And in just the same fashion as they had forced the equaliser last weekend, Kemlein won the ball before setting Hollerbach away on the break, with a raking pass up the left. Upamecano, however, wasn’t to be beaten in a footrace this time, and he saw off the danger without too much fuss, shrugging Hollerbach off the ball.

But for all Union’s admirable intentions, it was soon to be three, as Kimmich swung a pass out to the right that was crossed back across goal to Coman, who laid it off for the incoming Kane (with Musiala a millisecond behind him). Though there was a pause as the video assistant checked the tightest of offsides – Rönnow had raced off his line, his hand in the air, certain he’d spotted the infraction - it wasn’t to be.

Bayern were now dominant again, the ball being circulated in an endless loop from red shirt to red shirt, but Union were proving determined and hard to break down. Vogt cleared up from Musiala; Trimmel stopped Kane; Querfeld cleared with a bicycle kick while prone on the floor; Musiala’s header rolled past the back post as slowly as if it was rolling through mud; Doekhi stood up to Oliseh.

With an hour played, Svensson made his first changes, Tim Skarke and Yorbe Vertessen replacing Hollerbach and Jordan (he would bring on Janik Haberer and Andras Schäfer for Jeong and Kemlein not ten minutes later) but by now the ball was largely the Bavarian’s property, and when the former found the latter, their luck wasn’t in. Vertessen slipped as he looked to control the pass inside with a man at his back, ready to sweep up behind him.

Skarke did better after 65 minutes when he linked up with Jeong, and saw his shot fly out for a corner off Upamecano, but Querfeld couldn’t get any weight on his header from the resulting set-piece.

Union would still have their moments - Vertessen’s turn and pass at lightning pace in the 72^nd minute being a stand-out example – but wary of conceding more, they largely held their fire. Bayern continued to probe, but still weren’t hitting consistent heights. Coman headed over, Kane flashed a shot low and wide of Rönnow’s right hand upright

Union had a final flurry at the end as the fleet-footed Vertssen and the substitute, making his first appearance of the season, Jérôme Roussillon linked up in the Bayern box, but by that point it was all over bar the singing.

Svensson blew out his cheeks, but he had plenty of positives to take from the toughest of away days as the players applauded the magnificent, 5,000-plus, Union fans that had sung from the beginning to the end.

“We still put in a good performance," he said, a hint of pride belying his disappointment. "...even if the result doesn't reflect it.”