Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen share spoils in edge-of-the-seat encounter
Thomas Müller's own goal ensured third-placed Bayer Leverkusen came away from Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich with a point.
Bayern Munich 1-1 Bayer Leverkusen
Goals: 1-0 Süle (18'), 1-1 Müller (o.g. 36')
Bayern survived an early scare, when Amine Adli went into the box and curled wide of Sven Ulreich's far post. That sparked a flurry of goal-scoring openings for Bayern as Benjamin Pavard volleyed over, Robert Lewandowski had an effort blocked and Müller fired straight at Lukas Hradecky. The pressure told in the 18th minute as Niklas Süle thrashed in following a goalmouth scramble, before Serge Gnabry drilled wide on the counter. Leverkusen hit back against the run of play, with Müller putting a Kerem Demirbay free-kick past his own goalkeeper. Adli flunked a gilt-edged one-on-one and Ulreich thwarted Charles Aranguiz in an all-action finale to a first-half that concluded with Gnabry lashing into the side netting.
There was no let-up after the restart as Pavard got in the way of Adli's close-range effort. Bayern went straight up the other end with Jamal Musiala, whose low shot from 18 yards forced Hradecky into a full-stretch save. The Leverkusen stopper had to be alert to a Lewandowski snap-shot soon after, with Piero Hincapie and Jonathan Tah also coming up with crucial interventions in the ensuing passage of play. Florian Wirtz fired into the side netting at the other end, while Omar Richards flashed a header wide and substitute Marcel Sabitzer spurned another presentable one-on-one. Bayern looked the most likely for long periods, but Jeremie Frimpong - fresh from his first call-up to the senior Netherlands squad - almost nicked it for Leverkusen late on, with Ulreich riding to the defending champions' rescue.
Watch: Richards: “Leverkusen’s goal sucked our energy out”
Match stats
- Lewandowski has only failed to reach double figures for goals against three of the 18 Bundesliga clubs he has faced at least 10 times. Leverkusen are one of them (eight goals in 20 appearances).
- The game was Nagelsmann’s 335th in all competitions as a first-team coach (including U19s level). His record is: W185, D78, L72.
- Bayern are unbeaten in their last five with Leverkusen.
- Müller scored the first own goal of his 407-match Bundesliga career.
- Demirbay registered his third assist of the Bundesliga season.
- Iranian Sardar Azmoun made his Bundesliga debut.
Watch: Adli: "I have to be better in front of goal"
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Line-ups
Bayern: Ulreich - Pavard, Süle, Upamecano, Richards (Sane 61') - Kimmich, Musiala - Gnabry (Choupo-Moting 74'), Müller (c) (Sabitzer 61'), Coman (Sarr 86') - Lewandowski
Unused subs: Früchtl, Wanner, Nianzou, Stanisic
Out: Davies (heart), Goretzka (knee), Hernandez (suspended), Neuer (knee), Tolisso (hamstring)
Coach: Julian Nagelsmann
Leverkusen: Hradecky (c) - Tah, Tapsoba, Hincapie - Frimpong, Aranguiz, Demirbay, Bakker (Kossounou 82') - Adli (Palacios 70'), Wirtz (Azmoun 89'), Diaby (Alario 89')
Unused subs: Grill, Paulinho, Baumgartlinger, Sinkgraven, Fosu-Mensah
Out: Andrich (knee), Bellarabi (hamstring), Lunev (ankle), Schick (calf)
Coach: Gerardo Seoane
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