Bayern Munich mounted a comeback to clinch a point against RB Leipzig at Allianz Arena.
Thomas Muller saved the day for Bayern Munich on Saturday by scoring a brace in a 3-3 draw against RB Leipzig at Allianz Arena. Christopher Nkunku, Emil Forsberg, and Justin Kluivert found the back of the net for Leipzig, while Jamal Musiala had opened the scoring for Die Roten.
Hansi Flick was without Lucas Hernandez against RB Leipzig due to thigh problems. David Alaba slotted in the left-back position. Robert Lewandowski and Leon Goretzka returned to the lineup after being rested against Atletico Madrid. Leroy Sane also got a Bundesliga start after a long time, while Kingsley Coman started on the other flank.
Julian Nagelsmann made multiple changes in the attack and midfield that featured in the thrilling win against Istanbul Basaksehir. Tyler Adams replaced Kevin Kampl in central midfield, while Christopher Nkunku and Justin Kluivert slotted in the attack, replacing Yussuf Poulsen and Dani Olmo.
Bayern found themselves in uncomfortable positions as the visitors were pressing aggressively in the final third. Die Roten couldn’t find their rhythm despite dominating the possession in the early exchange of the game. Leipzig was relying on turnovers when they were dispossessing Die Roten players through intense pressing.
Nagelsmann’s men were eventually rewarded as Bayern’s high line of defense was punished by a simple pass by Forsberg. Nkunku latched on to this pass and dribbled past Manuel Neuer to open the scoring on the night.
Leipzig had their tails up as Die Roten looked vulnerable on the break. Flick had to bring Musiala in the 25th minute as Javi Martinez hobbled off due to injury. The teenager made an immediate impact by scoring the equalizer from the edge of the box. Coman showed great awareness to find Musiala.
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Bayern was on top after scoring the equalizer. They made their dominance count by scoring the second goal of the game in the 34th minute. Coman once again showed great awareness to find Muller in the box. The German forward showed clever movement to get at the end of the Frenchman’s delightful through ball and slot it past Peter Gulacsi.
The happiness for Bavarian fans lasted for just two minutes as Leipzig responded straightaway. A dinked pass over the top once again led to Die Roten’s downfall. Amadou Haidara found Kluivert with a clever pass on the left flank. The Dutch winger latched on to the pass and hammered the shot past Neuer. A chaotic half for both sides where they showed their attacking prowess with defensive vulnerabilities.
Leipzig caught the hosts off guard straightaway in the second half. A cleverly worked move on the left flank by Nkunku and Angelino was calmly finished by an unmarked Forsberg. Die Roten defensively looked all over the place to concede the third goal.
For the next half an hour, Leipzig managed to give Die Roten quiet, conceding only half chances. They also looked threatening on the break, so Bayern had to drop a little bit to make sure that they are able to cut off Leipzig’s counterattacks.
The perseverance of Bayern finally paid off in the 75th minute as Muller scored his second goal of the game. Coman was once again the creator as he delivered a delicious cross to find the German forward in the box.
Both teams tried to find the winner in the remaining 15 minutes of the game. However, there were no clear cut chances. A draw looked a fair result in a highly entertaining game, but Flick would be concerned with the defensive performances from Bayern. Courtesy of this draw, Die Roten remain top of the table, one point ahead of RB Leipzig.
"Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1)NeuerPavard-Sule-Boateng-AlabaMartinez-GoretzkaSane-Muller-ComanLewandowskiSubstitutes: Nubel, Gnabry (↓Sane (64′)), Costa (↓Coman (83′)), Choupo-Moting, Sarr, Roca, Nianzou, Richards (↓Boateng (84′)), Musiala (↓Martinez (25′))RB Leipzig (4-4-2)GulacsiMukiele-Konate-Upamecano-AngelinoHaidara-Adams-Sabitzer-KluivertForsberg-NkunkuSubstitutes: Martinez, Borkowski, Halstenberg, Orban (↓Kluivert (78′)) , Olmo (↓Mukiele (72′)), Kampl (↓Sabitzer (72′)), Samardzic, Sorloth (↓Haidara (78′)), Poulsen (↓Forsberg (62′))"