Borussia Mönchengladbach 3-2 Bayern Munich
Bundesliga, Matchday 15
08/01/21
Bayern Munich ended their run of twelve games undefeated losing to Borussia Monchengladback in what turned out to be a thrilling match.
In a freezing cold Borussia Park, Bayern went ahead through a Lewandowski penalty, then two-up after Goretzka’s powerful strike.
The Foals came storming back through the brilliant Jonas Hofmann who beat Neuer twice one-on-one to restore parity before the half.
Florian Neuhaus got the winner just after the restart with a top corner finish from eighteen yards in what was a scintillating match.
The loss means Leipzig could take the lead in the Bundesliga if they beat Borussia Dortmund tomorrow.
Slow half bursts to life including a goal disallowed re-allowed by VAR
Perhaps it was because Bayern Munich and Borussia Monchengladbach have shared the last six Bundesliga encounters three a piece, or perhaps it was because Bayern have conceded first in their last eight matches that the game at Borussia Park started in such a pedestrian manner.
Perhaps it was the cold(?)
All that the enthusiast was given in the opening quarter of the match was a blocked shot by Foals midfielder Jonas Hofmann, Neuer doing some pyro-technics to entertain including a Cruyff turn on his own goal line and one of his classic sweeper keeper moves, and a bizarre and rather nasty looking hack by Pavard on Hofmann when Pavard was in possession.
Flick switched up the team with Costa coming in for the injured Gnabry whilst Kimmich kept his starting birth after he continued his return from injury sustained in a challenge with Haaland in the first Klassiker of the season all the way back in November.
World’s best player Robert Lewandowski started quietly even though the Polish superstar has never been more likely to break the seemingly impossible 40 goals that Gerd Muller set almost half a century ago. However Lewan has only managed four in fourteen against the Foals.
The Pole made it five with a penalty after a ridiculous handball by Florian Neuhaus.
Stefan Lainer had a chance to equalise on 22’ but missed Denis Zakaria’s cross. Lewan could have had a second when he got in front of his man at the near post but headed over, then Bayern, as they do so seamlessly, went from first to fifth and shifted into cruise control.
The shift into fifth came when Goretzka intercepted a clearance, played a one-two with Sane then rifled the ball into the net from eighteen yards.
The goal looked impressive but questions could be asked of the Foals defence standing off Goretzka and keeper Yann Sommer being beaten at his near post.
After that Bayern quickly put on the cruise control and looked to see out the half until the best player on the pitch, not Lewandowski but Foals playmaker Hofmann, speeded in front of the laboured Niklas Sule to latch onto a through-ball and score.
You almost thought Hofmann had got his second right on the stroke of half-time, beating the offside trap and then Neuer, but as soon as the German struck the ball the assistant put his flag up (an annoying rule in football, only calling it when the ball has been played).
Most would agree VAR is more annoying, but on this occasion its intervention was timely and correct. The video assistant referee overruled the on-field decision and gave the goal. Replays showed Hofmann had beaten the offside trap.
RL#40
You’re going to see that hashtag quite a bit if you follow Bundesliga this season. Robert Lewandowski is again aiming to beat Gerd Muller’s 49-year scoring record of 40 Bundesliga goals in a single campaign. Lewan came short last year with 34. This season the Pole is in prime position to beat the record, 2 goals ahead of where Muller was at this stage (19 in 14 compared to 17 in 14). Lewan needs 20 from the remaining 23 games to match the record, which is very achievable considering the form of him and his Bayern team in the last 12 months.
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Second half – Bayern fall foul of the Foals
It’s official, Europe’s best team do look rattled. Close results against Leverkusen and Wolfsburg then going two behind in their last game against lowly Mainz shows it’s not all peaches and cream for Bayern.
Hansi would have thrown away the bowl of cream on 49’ when Bayern went behind through a superbly taken goal by Florian Neuhaus.
The German received Hofmann’s pass across goal and curled a brilliant strike into the top corner leaving Neuer no chance.
Foals captain Stindl could have been the next to score a worldy but blazed his shot over the bar after Hofmann found acres of space on the right.
Lewandowski had a golden opportunity to equalise but put his header over the bar from eight yards. The chance came after Neuer dealt brilliantly with Goretzka’s risqué back pass and sprayed the ball first time to Pavard allowing the Frenchman to release Bayern up the pitch.
On 90’ Niklas Sule had a header cleared off the line by Matthias Ginter.
The result sees Bayern lose their third game of the season.
Man of the match: Jonas Hofmann
Two superbly taken goals one-on-one vs world’s best keeper Neuer and set-up Neuhaus’ brilliant strike moments into the second half. Hofmann had one of those games where he looked like he was floating across the pitch rather than running on it.
B Monchengladbach, 3-5-2: Sommer, Kramer, Zakaria (->74′), Stindl (C) (->82′), Lainer, Hofmann (->89′), Bensebaini (->89′), Ginter, Elvedi, Neuhaus, Embolo
Subs: Sippel (GK), Lang, Herrmann (->74′), Wolf(->82′), Beyer, Traore, Wendt, Benes, Jantschke (->89′)
Bayern Munich, 4-2-3-1: Neuer (C), Davies, Sule, Alaba, Pavard, Goretzka, Costa (->68′), Kimmich, Muller, Lewandowski, Sane
Subs: Nubel (GK), Tolisso, Boateng, Sarr, Hernandez, Choupo-Moting, Roca, Coman (->68′), Musiala
Goals: Lewandowski 20’, Goretzka 26’, Hofmann 35’, 45’, Neuhaus 49’
Harry Jamshid Reporter Sports Pages 