Bayern suffered an unexpected setback at the start of the new Bundesliga campaign, losing away to promoted Kaiserslautern despite claiming almost three-quarters of the possession and creating chance after chance in the second half, only to be undone by the underdogs’ prodigious effort and willpower.
The 49,780 capacity crowd at the Fritz-Walter stadium saw the visitors boss the play from the off, but Thomas Müller squandered a golden opportunity to hand his side the lead, and Ivo Ilicevic and Srdjan Lakic stunned the champions with two goals in 60 seconds ten minutes before half-time. Louis van Gaal’s men laid siege to the home goal in the second half, but the shooting was too often wayward and the home side’s resistance too dogged on an off night for the men from Munich.
With no league fixtures next weekend due to Euro 2012 qualifying, the Bavarians are next in Bundesliga action at 6.30 in the evening on Saturday 11 September, when fellow Champions League hopefuls Werder Bremen visit the Allianz Arena.
Van Gaal made just one change to the side which sealed a last-gasp win over Wolfsburg in the restart fixture a week ago, fit-again Ivica Olic taking over from Toni Kroos. Otherwise, keeper Jörg Butt lined up behind full-backs Philipp Lahm and Diego Contento, and central defenders Daniel van Buyten and Holger Badstuber.
Franck Ribery and Thomas Müller patrolled the flanks, with captain Mark van Bommel and Bastian Schweinsteiger in central midfield, and Olic slotting in behind former Kaiserslautern goal-getter Miro Klose.
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