Musiala dream purpose proves inadequate as Bayern drop extra factors towards Freiburg

By Peter Weis @PeterVicey

League leaders Bayer 04 Leverkusen have an opportunity to open up a ten-point hole on the high of the desk Sunday after German document champions FC Bayern dropped extra factors on Friday night. Xabi Alonso’s Werkself can inch nearer to the title with a win away at Köln.

Thomas Tuchel’s Bavarians performed a robust match towards Christian Streich’s Breisgauer within the 2023/24 German Bundesliga’s match-day 24 curtain raiser, however a spectacular solo purpose from Jamal Musiala proved inadequate to say all three factors in the long run.

Musiala and Mathys Tel noticed tallies cancelled out by Lucas Höler and Christian Günter. A 2-2 draw on the Europa Park Stadion leaves Bayern in second place on 54 factors. Leverkusen have 61 factors with a sport in hand.

Picture: Анна Мейер, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

One other set-back for Thomas Tuchel’s FC Bayern München accords Bayer 04 Leverkusen a superb alternative to inch nearer to clinching the title. Bayern overcame an early deficit towards Christian Streich’s SC Freiburg and even seemed to be headed for a victory after an unimaginable solo purpose from Jamal Musiala. The Schwarzwald hosts nonetheless managed to equalize late, taking all three factors away from the defending champs.

Streich made three modifications to the XI that misplaced away at Augsburg on Sunday. Matthias Ginter returned to the beginning blocks after a harm layoff that stored him out of the lineup for 3 weeks. Ginter took Merlin Röhl’s spot whereas Nicolas Höfler moved again up into his pure midfield place. Kiliann Sildillia was known as upon to deputize for the injured Lukas Kübler at proper again. Roland Sallai was most well-liked to Michael Gregoritsch up high as Streich maintained the 4-4-2 formation he started with 5 days in the past.

Tuchel made two enforced modifications to the squad that lined up towards Leipzig final Saturday evening. Mathys Tel stuffed in for the injured Leroy Sané whereas Min-Jae Kim took the place of suspended central defender Matthijs de Ligt. The tightly packed 4-2-4 deployed within the earlier fixture widened out to a extra evenly spaced 4-2-3-1. The German giants commemorated an unmatched milestone within the spherical 24 curtain raiser, turning into the primary German membership to contest 2,000 top-tier fixtures.

The hosts performed brave soccer from the very begin, urgent ahead with vim and vigor into Bayern’s penalty space. FCB keeper Manuel Neuer prevented the Breisgauer from going up early with an extremely double save on Sallai within the twelfth. Streich’s workforce would nonetheless beat Neuer on the following nook. Returning SCF skipper Christian Günter – again for simply his third begin of the season – powered residence an unstoppable first-time effort from 18 meters out off the set-piece.

4 minutes after placing his workforce forward, Günter almost doubled the benefit. Neuer was as soon as once more known as upon to be at his finest when Günter headed a diagonal in his course within the sixteenth. The German nationwide workforce #1 might solely parry at full stretch. Freiburg – accorded fairly a little bit of area by the frazzled Bayern ranks – continued to generate extra possibilities all through a lot of the opening half-hour. Solely after half-hour had handed did Streich’s facet retreat a bit and give attention to defending.

Bayern would discover the equalizer off their very own nook within the thirty fifth. Tel did a wonderful job of accumulating a failed clearance, duping SCF defender Manuel Gulde, and flicking the ball artistically into the far nook from the sting of the penalty space. Bayern rode the momentum throughout the primary half, finally failing to provide a lot that will bother Freiburg keeper Noah Atubolu. The 2 groups went into the tunnel with the rating deadlocked 1-1.

Günter and Kane each traded scoring alternatives throughout an lively begin to the second half. Freiburg settled into a really deep low block some 5 minutes after the restart, nevertheless, and the Bavarian visitors started to take management of the overwhelming majority of possession. Kane had three efforts on purpose earlier than each coaches started introducing subs within the sixty fourth, however the Englishman could not get something on track.

Tuchel introudced Konrad Laimer and Alphonso Davies, switching to a back-three with Leon Goretzka working because the libero. The tactical shift yielded rapid outcomes. Atubolu prevented Musiala from scoring with an incredible save within the 71st. Musiala ended up notching the 2-1 4 minutes later with an incredible solo effort.

The younger phenom dribbled his well beyond Sildillia, Maximilian Eggestein, and Ritsu Doan with a scintillating solo dribble on the left. Musiala capped it off with a nonchalant cheeky flick into the far nook; a surprising piece of particular person improvisational brilliance. Bayern seemed to be on target for victory. The hosts had different plans.

Lucas Höler smashed residence the 2-2 within the 87th following an distinctive hold-up and faucet again from the simply subbed on Gregortisch. Bayern have been unable to muster up a lot in response. The affair concluded with the spoils shared. The document champs have now did not win seven league fixtures within the present marketing campaign.