Bayern held by Basel in friendly

Bayern kicked off 2024 with a 1-1 draw away at Basel on Saturday in their sole friendly of the winter break before resuming the campaign in earnest next week. Youngster Noel Aseko got the equaliser from the bench after Juan Gauto had put the hosts ahead following a goalless first half. A number of defensive absentees saw Thomas Tuchel deploy Joshua Kimmich at right-back in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Raphael Guerreiro partnering Aleksandar Pavlovic in midfield.

The game at St. Jakob-Park was only moments old when Harry Kane had the first chance, clipping the ball on the angle from right of goal towards the far post and forcing goalkeeper Marwin Hitz to scramble and palm over his crossbar. Thomas Müller again called the former Borussia Dortmund man into action when he ran onto a long ball but was unable to get enough power behind his shot. Kane had another chance to put the Bavarians ahead when picked out by Alphonso Davies’s cutback, but the England captain placed his effort wide of the post. Bayern were dominant throughout the first 45 minutes but unable to get on the scoresheet, with Manuel Neuer called into action only once to repel a low effort from Benjamin Kololli after Basel broke away.

Both coaches made a number of changes for the restart, which saw momentum shift towards the hosts as they came out strong. A couple of chances for substitutes Gauto and Aaron Akale were warning shots before the former got the game’s opening goal when firing high beyond Sven Ulreich after a ball in from the left. The substitutions continued to follow, and one bore fruits for Bayern as 18-year-old Aseko fired in from the edge of the box after a poorly cleared corner for his first goal with the senior squad. Mathys Tel had two opportunities in quick succession to put Bayern ahead but was denied by Mirko Salvi before putting the rebound wide. Another youngster, Lovro Zvonarek, then struck the post as the German champions pushed again in the closing minutes at a sold-out St. Jakob-Park, but to no avail.

Bayern will now return to Munich and turn their focus to the resumption of the Bundesliga campaign when they host Hoffenheim at the Allianz Arena next Friday.