18th matchday
Bayern motor continues to stutter: Next 1: 1 against Frankfurt
Leroy Sané (l) and Bayern couldn’t get past a 1-1 draw against Frankfurt. photo
© Sven Hoppe/dpa
Three games, no win: Bayern’s rumbling start in 2023 continues in the top game against Frankfurt. Sané’s goal isn’t enough because Kolo Muani responds. The pursuers stalk them.
Frustrated, Julian Nagelsmann dropped into his place on the coaching bench. His players dutifully high-fived and then, visibly at a loss, went in the direction of the fans: the Bayern engine stuttered on.
After two draws in Leipzig and against Cologne, it was only enough for the German soccer champions to draw 1-1 (1-0) against Eintracht Frankfurt at the start of the second half of the Bundesliga season.
Munich remain leaders with 37 points, but the pursuers Union Berlin (36), RB Leipzig (35) and SC Freiburg (34) are stalking closer and closer. The Bundesliga is experiencing new excitement at the top.
“We had our chances, but didn’t convert them all,” said Bayern defender Matthijs de Ligt on Sky. “We started with a good attitude in the first half. We have to do that the whole game, we don’t have that.” Frankfurt’s ex-Bayern professional Sebastian Rode said, “You’re only completely satisfied if you win”. But his team showed a “very good away game”.
Leroy Sané put the very offensively positioned and tirelessly attacking Bayern ahead in the 34th minute on Thomas Müller’s assist. But after the break, Eintracht fought back through league top scorer Randal Kolo Muani. On a pass from substitute Daichi Kamada, the Frenchman scored a seventh goal of the season in the 69th minute with a well-placed low shot into the far corner. Neither team managed the game-winning action.
Bayern do not radiate lightness
“It was an intense game for us, we came here to score points, we did it,” said Vice World Champion Kolo Muani. He’s trying to “just help the team.”
75,000 spectators in the Allianz Arena saw hard-working but also unsettled Bavarians. The Munich stars did not radiate lightness – in contrast to the 6:1 gala in Frankfurt at the start of the season. Many balls jumped the good technicians.
Again and again they got caught up in the tightly-knit Frankfurt defence, in which hardly any space opened up. Eintracht, on the other hand, did too little on their switching moments before the break. There was a scene of excitement when Bayern goalkeeper Yann Sommer stopped Eintracht attacker Kolo Muani far outside the penalty area with a risky tackle (35′). Summer saw yellow.
As announced, Gnabry initially on the bench
The Munich team, who changed three positions, where fashion friend Serge Gnabry initially had to go to the bench, as announced, tried hard. But they remain in search of that flow in which they rushed from victory to victory before the World Cup break.
As an energetic driving force, Joshua Kimmich was initially the formative figure. The healthy national goalkeeper Kevin Trapp punched his long-range shot into the feet of Müller, who failed in the follow-up shot at the Eintracht goalkeeper (30). Müller justified his return to the starting XI with some good actions.
After a pass from Josip Stanisic, he deliberately crossed low into the penalty area to Sané, who completed the successful move with his right foot on his sixth goal of the season. The second half was fought with open visors. Frankfurt invested more offensively, Kolo Muani was a constant Bayern danger. They now have more rooms. However, a double chance from Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Sané did not bring the 2-0 lead (61st). Eintracht coach Oliver Glasner made a clever change: Kamada from Japan came and prepared the equalizing goal.