Bayern Munich salvaged a point against Arminia Bielefeld after going two goals down in the first half of the game at Allianz Arena on Monday. Goals from Robert Lewandowski, Corentin Tolisso, and Alphonso Davies helped Die Roten to mount a comeback in the second half, while Michel Vlapp, Amos Pieper, and Christian Gebauer were goalscorers for Bielefeld.
Hansi Flick made multiple changes to the team that started in the Club World Cup final last Thursday. Corentin Tolisso started in the midfield to give Joshua Kimmich much needed rest. Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting played in the number ten or second striker role instead of injured Serge Gnabry. CWC final’s hero, Benjamin Pavard was also rested, as Bouna Sarr got a rare start in the right-back position against Arminia Bielefeld.
The visitors had ample amount of time to prepare for this game since their last competitive game was 15 days ago. From the defeat against FC Koln at the start of February, there were three changes to the lineup of Bielefeld. Manuel Prietl replaced Marcel Hartel in the midfield, while Andreas Volgsammer and Michel Vlap started in the attack, instead of Reinhold Yabo and Sven Schipplock.
The heavy snowfall in Munich made the game difficult for both teams as passing looked sloppy in the opening exchanges of the game. Bayern was finding it difficult to create chances as the ball was skidding on the surface, and players also looked in poor touch.
Bielefeld managed to pounce on the mistakes from hosts to open the scoring in the ninth minute. Poor coordination between Niklas Sule and Sarr at the back allowed Vlap to unleash a venomous strike from just inside the box.
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As snowfall continued to get heavy, Die Roten found momentum in the final third. Leroy Sane was afforded a lot of space on the right flank, and he was making full use of this advantage. The German winger was delivering dangerous crosses and shots from the right flank, but Stefan Ortega was in no mood to concede during the first half.
Things went from bad to worse for the home side as Bielefeld doubled the lead in the 37th minute. A sensational delivery from the corner by Vlap was successfully headed into the goal by Pieper. The German Champions looked shell shot going in the half time break as they found it difficult to break down a resilient Bielefeld defense.
The decrease in the snowfall eventually increased the fluidity of Bayern’s game in the second half. They got one goal back quickly after a lovely aerial through ball from David Alaba reached Lewandowski in the box. The Polish striker’s instinctive finish halved the deficit. However, Bielefeld immediately restored a two-goal lead after another defensive collapse from Die Roten. Andreas Voglsammer’s cross from the right flank was unchallenged in the box before it reached Gebauer hammered it past Manuel Neuer at the far side.
The hosts maintained the high tempo in the final third, but they were leaving themselves open at the back. Just before the hour mark, Tolisso nodded the ball past Ortega after a peach of a cross from the right flank was delivered by Sane. The pressure from both flanks eventually paid off as Davies unleashed a rocket from the edge of the box in the 70th minute to make it 3-3.
Die Roten could have immediately got the lead as Lewandowski’s header was just wide of the target. Meanwhile, the visitors had a goal chalked off due to a marginal offside call. As the game entered in the final 15 minutes, the chaos in both final thirds was losing intensity as players were getting tired.
Despite having the momentum after scoring the third goal, Die Roten failed to create more opportunities in the final quarter of the second half. Courtesy of this draw, Bayern’s seven points lead at the top was trimmed to five points on Monday.
"Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1)NeuerSarr-Sule-Hernandez-DaviesTolisso-AlabaSane-Choupo Moting-ComanLewandowskiSubstitutes: Hoffmann, Pavard, Kimmich (↓Sarr (58′)), Roca, Dantas, Musiala, Sieb, ZaiserArminia Bielefeld (4-2-3-1)OrtegaBrunner-Pieper-Nilsson-LaursenKunze-PrietlDoan-Vlapp-VoglsammerKlosSubstitutes: Linner, De Medina, Hoorn (↓Klos (89′)), Seufert (↓Voglsammer (62′)), Okugawa, Hartel, Schipplock, Cordova (↓Vlapp (62′)), Gebauer (↓Doan (41′))"