Depleted Bayern suffers shock 2-1 loss to Gladbach in season restart

League leader Bayern played against Gladbach after missing nine players through COVID-19 infections and more to Africa Cup of Nations duties and injuries.

Published : Jan 08, 2022 08:56 IST , MUNICH

Borussia Moenchengladbach's Florian Neuhaus celebrates scoring his side's first goal during the 2-1 Bundesliga win over Bayern Munich on Friday.
Borussia Moenchengladbach's Florian Neuhaus celebrates scoring his side's first goal during the 2-1 Bundesliga win over Bayern Munich on Friday.
lightbox-info

Borussia Moenchengladbach's Florian Neuhaus celebrates scoring his side's first goal during the 2-1 Bundesliga win over Bayern Munich on Friday.

A makeshift Bayern Munich team conceded two goals in four minutes to suffer a shock 2-1 loss to visitors Borussia Moenchengladbach on Friday as the Bundesliga resumed following a three-week winter break.

Missing nine players through COVID-19 infections and more to Africa Cup of Nations duties and injuries, league leader Bayern still easily bossed Gladbach around for some 30 minutes and took the lead through top scorer Robert Lewandowski in the 18th.

But the visitor sensationally struck twice with its first two chances of the game, with a Florian Neuhaus volley in the 27th minute and Stefan Lainer's glancing header shortly after turning the game around.

Top scorer Lewandowski twice hit the woodwork as Bayern desperately pushed for an equaliser and missed a bagful of chances.

Bayern is on 43 points with Borussia Dortmund, which travels to Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday, in second place on 34.

Conditions were far from perfect for Bayern's season restart, with no fans allowed in because of COVID-19 restrictions and a string of big name absences including keeper Manuel Neuer, Lucas Hernandez, Leon Goretzka, Leroy Sane, Alphonso Davies and Kingsley Coman among others.

READ:

But it still enjoyed a strong start and Lewandowski, who came close in the 15th minute, was on target a little later with his 20th goal of the season, after he shook off his marker with a brilliant first touch and fired in with a powerful shot.

Bayern has now scored in each of its last 65 Bundesliga games, equalling the league record set by itself in 2014.

But out of nowhere the visitor levelled with Neuhaus volleying in with the Bayern defence disorganised.

It then went ahead in the 31st when Stefan Lainer headed in from a corner, with Bayern's backline again out of place.

Gladbach, which also crushed Bayern 5-0 in the German Cup in October, could have added a third with Neuhaus and Breel Embolo just before the break.

Lewandowski rattled the post with a shot in first half stoppage time and then hit the crossbar just past the hour mark as the host pushed for an equaliser.

Running out of options from the bench, Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann brought on Paul Wanner, who at 16 years and 16 days became the youngest Bayern player to make his Bundesliga debut, and 17-year-old Lucas Copado, but the champion could not find an equaliser.

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment