Unlucky Reds denied by ruthless Gladbach

FC Bayern fell 2-1 to Borussia Mönchengladbach on Friday evening. Robert Lewandowski put Bayern ahead early in the first half, but the away side turned the tide through Florian Neuhaus and Stefan Lainer around the half-hour mark. The champions were utterly dominant after half-time, but another goal refused to come, and the youthful men in red were utterly left to rue their missed chances.

With a number of players in quarantine or injured, it was a makeshift line-up that took the field on Friday. Bayern started with Sven Ulreich in goal and Joshua Kimmich, Benjamin Pavard, Niklas Süle and Marcel Sabitzer in a back four. Jamal Musiala and Marc Roca anchored a midfield featuring Serge Gnabry, Thomas Müller and Malik Tillman, with Lewandowski up front. Youngsters Lucas Copado and Paul Wanner took over from Roca and Tillman with a quarter-hour to go. At 16 years and 15 days, Wanner is the youngest-ever player to feature for Bayern in the Bundesliga.

Trailing at half-time

Bayern went straight onto the front foot, Lewandowski putting a free-kick into the wall, but the ball fell to Gnabry, who saw his effort parried. Lewandowski was denied by keeper Yann Sommer but soon scored the opener, evading his marker and beating Sommer at his near post.

Sabitzer fired over, but the Foals levelled the scores out of the blue when Neuhaus capitalised on a mix-up in the box and fired home from ten yards. The efficient away side turned the game around minutes later, Lainer heading in a corner. Gladbach were buoyed by their lead, Ulreich making a strong save against Neuhaus, with Pavard preventing the latter from dispatching the rebound. Ulreich made another strong save against Embolo in the frantic minutes before half-time, with Lewandowski hitting the post at the other end and Müller seeing his effort blocked.

No reward

Bayern were in command after the interval, with Roca firing wide and Musiala denied by Sommer. Müller miscued a header before Lewandowski was denied by the woodwork for a second time, hitting the crossbar. The Poland captain fired over and saw an effort saved, with Kimmich blasting over.

Ulreich, rarely called into action in the second half, made a fine save against Pléa with five minutes to go. Munich desperately chased an equaliser, but another goal just refused to come, and match official Daniel Siebert blew for full-time.

The result means Bayern have 43 points from 18 matches, nine ahead of Dortmund, who take on Frankfurt on Saturday. Bayern will be back in action next Saturday, when they travel to face Köln.

Live match report for fcbayern.com by Greg Salmen