Bayern Munich legend defends Lennart Karl for viral dribble fail: ‘Not everything worked for Messi at 17’

Munich—Seventeen-year-old Lennart Karl’s late-match cameo in Bayern Munich’s 5-1 rout of Hoffenheim will be remembered less for the final score than for a single moment of mis-timed flair. With the contest already decided, the teenage winger found himself isolated on the right touch line, attempted a flurry of Cristiano-style stepovers, and inadvertently nutmegged himself, watching the ball roll tamely out of play. Hoffenheim defender Alexander Prass offered a sympathetic thumbs-up in the immediate aftermath, a gesture that quickly circulated across social platforms once league-rights restrictions scrubbed the clip from official channels.

While highlight reels framed the sequence as an “aura debt” that went viral inside minutes, Bayern icon Lothar Matthäus urged perspective in his Sky column. “The boy is 17 years old, he loves playing soccer, and sometimes makes his opponents look bad,” Matthäus wrote. “Sometimes it’s one trick too many, but we all want to see stuff like that anyway. We’re happy when someone wants to show off and imitate the tricks of the superstars. Not everything worked for Messi at 17 either. Let the boys entertain us, even if you sometimes feel a little mocked as an opponent.”

Matthäus, the 1991 Ballon d’Or winner, emphasized the generational difference: Lionel Messi’s early stumbles were not broadcast in the algorithmic glare of today’s social feeds. Karl, by contrast, must navigate an environment obsessed with instant judgment, memes and online “agendas.” The veteran’s verdict was clear—allow prodigies room to fail so they can eventually flourish.

For now, Karl’s focus returns to the training ground, where a goal or two would swiftly redirect the narrative. Bayern secured three valuable points against Hoffenheim and, according to club chatter, have no intention of letting the youngster leave. Supporters will hope the next viral moment involves a finish rather than a fumble.