© FC Bayern
The ball fell to Joshua Kimmich in the very last minute of added time. Freiburg sat deep, some of them completely exhausted after an incredibly intense and thrilling Bundesliga match. They had led by two goals until the 80th minute, but now they were in danger of losing. Kimmich turned, raised his head and played a pinpoint pass to the charging Alphonso Davies in the gap.
Karl’s match-winner
Vincent Kompany had brought on the Canadian minutes earlier. Bayern’s head coach tried to provide as much impetus from the bench as possible in the frantic closing stages. Davies latched onto the pass and played a perfect low square. Up in the stands, where everyone had celebrated, danced and chanted in joy at an incredible performance and an incredible lead minutes earlier, the fans held their breath – the home and away fans alike. Davies’ square evaded the defenders and Noah Atubolu, who had made superb saves against Michael Olise and Luis Díaz, was the first to see it coming. The SCF keeper saw Lennart Karl break free from his marker and position himself to take the shot before finishing clinically with his right foot. “Luckily my right foot did its job, and then it was an incredible feeling,” said Karl, beaming. He had just scored Bayern’s third goal in the ninth minute of added time.
'An indescribable feeling'
© Getty Images
'An indescribable feeling'
© Getty Images
The shot was bitter for Freiburg but triggered a huge wave of relief and sent FC Bayern and their fans into raptures. It felt like the roar could be heard at RCD Mallorca’s stadium, where Real Madrid lost 2-1 ahead of Tuesday’s thrilling Champions League quarter-final first leg.
A victory nobody expected
But even the most optimistic Bayern fans hadn’t expected Bayern to win any more. “It gives us a huge boost of confidence, we can beat anyone! It was a crucial victory, something very, very special – that’s what we just said in the dressing room,” said Lennart Karl. Johan Manzambi and Lucas Höler had handed Freiburg a deserved two-goal lead that lasted until the 81st minute. “I’ve been at the club for a long time and have never experienced a match where we played like this against Bayern,” commented Freiburg’s Lucas Höler: “You have to be bold, we pressed high the whole time. We had to put in a lot more legwork. It was clear we’d run out of steam.”
Freiburg ran, tackled and fought hard from the off. The home side went for the one-on-ones and chased their opponents – even centre-back Matthias Ginter followed Serge Gnabry, wo stood in for Harry Kane, into Bayern’s box. “The first half was brutal, we knew they’d give us a hard time. Their play is similar to ours, man-to-man. They chased us across the pitch, it was very intense,” said Tom Bischof. Bayern really struggled to catch their breath or get an organised build-up play. Their stray passing lead to chances for Freiburg, but a goal refused to come before half-time.
39 seconds after the restart
Anyone who had been surprised when Vincent Kompany spoke of “one of the hardest away matches in the Bundesliga” found out when Freiburg took the lead 39 seconds after the restart – the earliest second-half goal FC Bayern have conceded this century. Freiburg continued to counter and play boldly and made it two from a corner (71’). It was the fourth time Bayern were trailing by two or more goals under Kompany in the Bundesliga. It seemed as if Freiburg would enjoy a perfect afternoon. “But we wouldn’t be Bayern if we didn’t always believe in ourselves,” commented Tom Bischof.
'It really binds us together'
© FC Bayern
'It really binds us together'
© FC Bayern
Kompany brought on fresh legs, with Jamal Musiala, Aleksandar Pavlović, Alphonso Davies, Konrad Laimer and of course Michael Olise, who had been given a long rest, coming on. Thanks largely to Olise’s hunger for goal, a controlled, increasingly forcing assault on the Freiburg goal followed. FC Bayern fought hard against the looming defeat in the dress rehearsal ahead of the clash with Real Madrid. The pressure on the exhausted Freiburg side, who didn’t attack after the second goal, mounted by the minute. “Maybe we turned things around because they’d spent so much energy,” said Kompany. “We were two goals up, we were still 2-1 up after 90 minutes,” Freiburg’s Lucas Höler commented: “And at the end of the day we lost. It’s extremely bitter.”
Two almost identical goals from distance
Tom Bischof saved FC Bayern with two almost identical goals from distance – first into the bottom left corner with his right foot and then into the bottom right corner with his left foot to level the scores. The 20-year-old new signing scored his first goals for Bayern and Munich’s 98th and 99th goal this Bundesliga campaign. “Such a match is perfect ahead of the one against Real. We’re seeing what a team we are. We stick together, it really binds us together,” he said. Freiburg were reeling after Bayern’s two goals – and Joshua Kimmich turned, raised his head and played a pinpoint pass to the charging Alphonso Davies in the gap.
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