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Gruesome defensive errors have brought Bayern down again in the furious Bundesliga classic against Borussia Mönchengladbach.
For the first time in ten years, Germany’s record champion Bayern Munich lost a 2-0 lead in 2: 3 (2: 2) against Borussia Mönchengladbach. Coach Hansi Flick’s team, which suffered their second of just four defeats as Bayern manager in Gladbach, is now threatened with losing the championship lead on Saturday.
Led by prominent offensive duo Lars Stindl and Jonas Hofmann, Bayern’s longtime rival took advantage of Munich’s well-known defensive weaknesses. Two outstanding passes from Stindl to Hofmann (minute 36/45) tied before the break. Florian Neuhaus (49th) scored to win. Borussia deserved to win the first leg against Bayern for the fourth time in a row, who lost a two-goal lead to 1. FC Köln in February 2011. A penalty goal by Robert Lewandowski (20th) and a goal by Leon Goretzka (26th) were not enough for the triple winner.
Bayern finally take the lead again and lose
Gladbach’s team, where Stefan Lainer played and Hannes Wolf entered in the closing stages, showed good first 15 minutes in the offensive 4-3-3 system. In Munich’s hindquarters, the Bayern coach relied on Benjamin Pavard, who had recently been ill, as a right-back Joshua Kimmich played his leading role as a midfield driver. Gladbach scrambled forward at high speed and long balls, then Neuhaus went wrong behind.
The national player went to the ball with his hand unnecessarily in his own penalty area and touched it with the tips of his fingers, Lewandowski easily converted the penalty thanks to the video evidence of his 20th goal of the season. The world footballer follows in the footsteps of the great Gerd Müller, who scored 40 goals in a season almost 50 years ago. Flick applauded on the sidelines: Bayern had always lagged behind in the previous eight Bundesliga games.
It was better this time, at least initially. Gladbach tried to increase the pressure on the guests immediately. With clever pressure, Bayern placed Goretzka shortly after the lead, whose shot from a good 25 meters could not be stopped by Gladbach goalkeeper Yann Sommer. Borussia conceded their 200th goal against Bayern, but then quickly returned to the game. And how!
Furious gladbachers strike back
Stindl and Hofmann made sure to equal the two goals before the break, following roughly the same scheme. Stindl skillfully played Hofmann twice with very strong passes against unranked Bayern, the 28-year-old kept his nerve in the face of Manuel Neuer’s goal at Bayern and ensured that the national team captain conceded a goal for tenth time in a row. A negative personal record for the 34-year-old. Well served, Bayern went to rest.
A reproduction error by Niklas Süle worsened the starting position in Munich. The Gladbachers played in the direction of the penalty area and Neuhaus made up for the penalty mistake with his first goal. Flick took an angry drink from her water bottle in the dugout.
Bayern’s subsequent attacking efforts, in which David Alaba played, had the Gladbacher initially under control. Despite the high pressures, the record champions did not develop the desired pressure for a long time through outsiders Douglas Costa and Leroy Sané. Alaba’s graduation was blocked (70º). And Gladbach expected more opportunities.
dpa
