Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich frustrated by Hoffenheim
Bayern Munich missed the chance to open up a 12-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga after being held to a 1-1 draw by Hoffenheim.
Hoffenheim 1-1 Bayern Munich
Goals: 1-0 Baumgartner 32' (assist: Raum), 1-1 Lewandowski 45'+3 (assist: Kimmich)
Hoffenheim took the game to Bayern as Andrej Kramaric forced a point-blank save from Manuel Neuer, and saw his follow-up cleared in front of the goal-line by ex-teammate Niklas Süle. Bayern produced a flurry of chances in response, with Oliver Baumann pawing away a Serge Gnabry volley followed by a Kevin Vogt block that appeared destined for the bottom corner. Thomas Müller was denied at close quarters soon after, before having a goal ruled out for a clear offside. Undeterred, Hoffenheim broke the deadlock with their next attack, with Christoph Baumgartner turning in David Raum's back-post cross on the slide. Müller had another strike chalked off, but Bayern went in level after Robert Lewandowski powered in a header from Joshua Kimmich's corner in first-half added time.
The linesman's flag denied Lewandowski his second of the contest within moments of the restart, the Bayern No.9 caught offside as he flicked in a Kingsley Coman strike. That set the tone for an absorbing spell as Leroy Sane shot wide and forced a fabulous reaction save out of Baumann. Hoffenheim substitute Ihlas Bebou went within a whisker of turning in a Raum cross at the other end, before Kramaric shot straight at Neuer following another driving Raum run up the left-hand side. Gnabry struck the woodwork when one-on-one with Baumann, Lucas Hernandez swept an effort wide and Stefan Posch came up with a big goal-line clearance from Müller as Bayern turned up the heat. Kramaric and Jacob Bruun Larsen tested Neuer either side of a header wide from Bayern substitute Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting as the contest ended all square, top-four candidates Hoffenheim the much happier of the two sides.
Match stats
- Bayern were held to a 1-1 draw for the second successive league game.
- Lewandowski has scored 15 goals in 24 competitive appearances against Hoffenheim.
- The Bayern striker has scored more goals (19) past Baumann than any other goalkeeper he's faced.
- At 19, Jamal Musiala is the youngest player in Bayern history to reach 50 Bundesliga appearances.
- The match was Bayern’s 1934th in the Bundesliga, levelling the all-time appearance record held by Werder Bremen.
- Hoffenheim (17) and Bayern (14) have hit the woodwork more than any other Bundesliga team this season.
Watch: Müller: "We didn't take our chances"
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Line-ups
Hoffenheim: Baumann (c) - Posch, Grillitsch, Vogt - Kaderabek (Akpoguma 74'), Samassekou (Geiger 61'), Stiller, Raum - Baumgartner (Bruun Larsen 74') - Rutter (Bebou 46'), Kramaric (Dabbur 90'+3)
Unused subs: Philipp, Adams, Che, John
Out: Bicakcic (knee), Hübner (not included), Nordtveit (thigh), Rudy (hamstring), Skov (thigh)
Coach: Sebastian Hoeneß
Bayern: Neuer (c) - Pavard, Süle, Hernandez - Kimmich, Musiala (Sabitzer 81') - Gnabry, Müller (Choupo-Moting 81'), Sane, Coman - Lewandowski
Unused subs: Ulreich, Upamecano, Richards, Sarr, Roca, Nianzou, Stanisic
Out: Davies (heart), Goretzka (knee), Tolisso (hamstring)
Coach: Julian Nagelsmann
Watch: Baumgartner: "We have great team spirit"
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