– Will this match take place? I will believe it when it starts – before the meeting, the coach, Julian Nagelsmann, joked. Although the German made no excuses, the staffing situation in his team was terrible.
Bayern greatly weakened
Alphonso Davies, Lucas Hernandez, Tanguy Nianzou, Omar Richards, Leroy Sane and Dayot Upamecano did not play on Friday due to coronavirus infection. Kingsley Coman, Leon Goretzka, Josip Stanisic and Corentin Tolisso were also missing due to injuries. Buona Sarr and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting went to the African Cup of Nations.
Decimated by the coronavirus and injuries, Bayern did not change style and attacked rivals from the first minutes, consistently pushing them on the defensive. The advantage of the hosts was the goal he scored in the 18th minute.
The Pole received a pass from Thomas Mueller, he easily dealt with Nico Elvedi and a powerful hit in the closer corner gave Yann Sommer no chance.
When it seemed that the next goals for Bayern were just a matter of time, the guests unexpectedly got to work. Unexpectedly, because Borussia Moenchengladbach in the first 30 minutes of the match in Munich, practically did not exist.
In the 27th minute, however, the visitors took advantage of Bayern’s ineptitude in defense. After the throw-in on the right, the stoppers who did not knock the ball first, and then Joshua Kimmich, who played it right on the leg of Florian Neuhaus. The German decided on an immediate air strike, which led to a draw.
Only four minutes later Bayern was already losing 1: 2. Stefan Lainer headed Luca Netz from a corner.
Lewandowski’s goal did not help Bayern
Even before the break, both teams could score one goal each. The guests had a chance first, but Brel Embolo’s shot was perfectly reflected by Sven Ulreich. Moments later, Lewandowski ridiculed Elvedi again, but his hit from the zero angle rebounded from the post, and Mueller’s rebound was blocked by Matthias Ginter.
Although Bayern was losing until the break, in the second half they could not change the game. There were also not many occasions for this. Apart from one very good hit by Jamal, Musiali Sommer didn’t have much work. Lewandowski was also not lucky, as his shot stopped on the crossbar of the visitors’ goal.
The Friday meeting of both teams was their third competition this season. Bayern did not win any of them. They both played away – in the Bundesliga they drew 1-1, in the German Cup, they lost 0: 5.
After 18 league games, Bayern is still the leader with 43 points and nine points ahead of Borussia Dortmund, who will face Eintracht Frankfurt away on Saturday. Thanks to the victory, Borussia advanced to the 11th place with 22 points on the account.
Both teams will play the next league matches on Saturday, January 15th. Bayern will play away against FC Koeln and Borussia Moenchengladbach will take on Bayer Leverkusen.
Source: Sport
Tristin is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his in-depth and engaging writing on sports. He currently works as a writer at 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the sports industry.
