Bayern beaten at home by Werder Bremen

Bayern suffered a first defeat to Werder Bremen since 2008 as the visitors claimed a 1-0 win at the Allianz Arena on Sunday through Mitchell Weiser’s second-half goal.

Thomas Tuchel mostly stuck with the team that started last week’s 3-0 win over Hoffenheim. Manuel Neuer was in goal for his 501st Bayern appearance, surpassing Bastian Schweinsteiger’s total, behind a back four of Konrad Laimer, Dayot Upamecano, Matthijs de Ligt and Alphonso Davies. Joshua Kimmich and Raphael Guerreiro sat in midfield, with Kingsley Coman – the one change in for Thomas Müller – Jamal Musiala and Leroy Sane ahead. Harry Kane led the line.

The first half followed the expected pattern of Bayern having the ball and looking for gaps, Bremen looking to hit on the counter. In fact, it would be those Werder transitions that provided the greatest threat as they tried to use the pace of Justin Njinmah. Sane warmed the gloves of Munich native Michael Zetterer before Neuer produced a brilliant save high to his right to keep out a deflected shot from ex-Bayern man Weiser. The FCB skipper was then beaten just before the half-hour mark as Bremen launched the ball forward for Njinmah to run onto. There was no offside as he started inside his own half and slotted beyond Neuer unchallenged, but the goal was eventually ruled out for an earlier foul by Jens Stage on Musiala. Upamecano forced Zetterer into a low save, but that was the extent of Bayern’s opportunities in the first 45 minutes.

Kane had a quiet half but fired off the first notable shot after the restart with a rising effort from the edge of the box. The visitors then had the ball in the net for a second time just before the hour. This time it counted, though, as Weiser collected a crossfield ball, cut inside Davies and fired high over the outstretched hands of Neuer into the roof of the net to put Bremen ahead. Tuchel responded with attacking changes by sending on Thomas Müller, Mathys Tel, Leon Goretzka and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting. It was Tel who came closest to grabbing the equaliser when his header at the far post was somehow kept out by Zetterer, who pushed the ball onto the woodwork and then reacted to clear it a second time.

In the end there was no breaking through the Werder defence as Bayern’s Bundesliga record run of 65 home games with a goal came to an end. The result leaves the champions on 41 points from 17 matches, seven points behind league leaders Bayer Leverkusen but with a game in hand. That match comes on Wednesday when Union Berlin visit the Allianz Arena.

Live match report for fcbayern.com by Charlie Mason.