Borussia Monchengladbach welcomed the Bundesliga’s return with a comeback triumph at a snowy Allianz Arena, handing Bayern Munich their first loss since mid-November.
During the Christmas break, Bayern dealt with quite some positive Covid-19 instances, with Manuel Neuer, Kingsley Coman, Leroy Sane, and Dayot Upamecano among those having to witness Friday’s match from the comfort of their own homes.
While the starting XI was rather different from what we’ve seen under Julian Nagelsmann this season, the first goalscorer, Robert Lewandowski, was a familiar face as he put his side ahead.
The Poland striker received a feed from Thomas Muller and spun wonderfully into the box before blasting a near-post strike.
Even though Monchengladbach’s offensive was shaky, with Breel Embolo in particular isolated, they managed to equalize before the half-hour mark.
Bayern’s Performance
Bayern failed to clear their lines after a cross was delivered, and Florian Neuhaus sprang up to volley past Sven Ulreich.
Soon after their opening strike, the visitors seized the initiative and took the lead when Stefan Lainer met Luca Netz’s corner and nodded into the far corner.
On the stroke of halftime, Lewandowski nearly equalized when his shot hit the post from an acute angle, but Muller’s follow-up was miraculously pushed off the line by Matthias Ginter.
In the Monchengladbach goal, the hosts were up against a strong Yann Sommer, who denied Lewandowski, Musiala, and Gnabry on numerous occasions.
Bayern’s player rating post-match
- Sven Ulreich (GK) – 6/10 – Replaced the injured Manuel Neuer in the league for the first time this season. He tried to block Lainer’s header with a flailing hand but couldn’t keep it out. Embolo was denied by a good stop at the near post.
- Joshua Kimmich (RB) – 5/10 – Had to fill right-back after recovering from coronavirus complications. Neuhaus was able to convert a weak flick away. In the second half, we were inches close to equalizing.
- Benjamin Pavard (CB) – 5/10 – An important recovery challenge to keep Monchengladbach from scoring their third goal. He and Sule were unable to handle Bayern’s backline, and the team struggled as a result.
- Niklas Sule (CB) – 5/10 – His attempt to connect with the cross that led to Neuhaus’ equalizer was quite poor. It’s clumsy and unreliable.
- Marc Roca (CM) – 4/10 – In the first half, his passing was sloppy, as he only completed 78 per cent of the passes he tried. When Bayern is at full strength, he gets many chances and is unlikely to be seen again once the injury and Covid-19 scenario improve.
- Jamal Musiala (CM) – 7/10 – He had a collision with Ginter in the head with a blow during a shot attempt. With a strike that was a touch too central, he forced a fantastic save from Sommer. Defensively, he did a good job, making several interceptions.
- Thomas Muller (AM) – 6/10 – Picked up an assist on the opening goal. However, Lewandowski’s turn was more important than Muller’s pass. Ginter was unlucky to save a goal-scoring opportunity.
- Robert Lewandowski (ST) – 7/10 – Sommer blocked a well-crafted opportunity early on. Moments later, he made no mistake, producing a fantastic turn to go behind Monchengladbach’s defense and blast past the goalkeeper. Soon after, Bayern fell behind, hit the post and later saw a lobbed effort rebound off the crossbar. On another day, he would have had a hat-trick.
- Serge Gnabry (RW) – 5/10 – He found some open space early on,, and Sommer saved me from a low drive. He wasn’t his usual attacking form, and he strayed a touch too far offside.
