(Football news) Bayern Munich suffered a shock 2-1 defeat at the hands of Borussia Monchengladbach as in recent years they have become their bogey team. Bayern were missing nine players through COVID-19 and more to Africa Cup of Nations duties and injuries, league leaders as Bayern easily bossed Gladbach around for some 30 minutes but couldn’t capitalize on that start as they let a one goal lead slip up. Bayern were missing a string of players through COVID-19 restrictions as keeper Manuel Neuer, Lucas Hernandez, Leon Goretzka, Leroy Sane, Alphonso Davies and Kingsley Coman among others were all out.
In the first half Bayern dominated the first 30 minutes as Lewandowski who had come close in the 15th minute to breaking the deadlock but was on target a little later with his 20th goal of the season, after he shook off his defender with a brilliant first touch and fired in with a powerful shot. Bayern have now scored in the last 65 Bundesliga games, equalling the league record set by themselves in 2014. The story of the match changed as out of nowhere Gladbach levelled with Neuhaus volleying in with the Bayern defence in full disarray. They then went ahead in the 31st when Lainer headed in from a corner, with Bayern's backline again at fault, leaving him with a free header. Gladbach, who had earlier thrashed Bayern 5-0 in the German Cup in October could have added more goals 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 Byaern pushed for an equaliser but ultimately suffered their third loss of the season.
Julian Nagelsmann, having no option, 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. With this Dortmund can narrow the gap to six points if they win against Eintracht Frankfurt.
Nagelsmann said, “We played very well for the first 25 minutes and were very dominant. The equalizer is very annoying. It wasn’t even a good cross, but we defended it badly. If you simply clear the ball well, nothing would’ve happened. It was actually easy to defend. In my opinion, it’s an undeserved defeat, even though Gladbach still had chances via counters. We didn’t do too bad today.”
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“I think we performed well. Kimmich and Sabitzer played in unfamiliar positions after nine to ten weeks without a game,’ Nagelsmann remarked. “It’s a different profile physically. Besides the 15 minutes before the break, we actually played a good game.
