The very least Bayern deserved from a high-octane encounter away to Leverkusen on Saturday was a point, but the men from Munich were punished for missing a string of early openings as Bayer ruthlessly twice struck late in the game to end a run of 14 matches without a win against FCB dating back to 2004.
The 30,210 capacity crowd at the BayArena saw the visitors turn in a furious opening onslaught and fashion a handful of gilt-edged chances, but Jupp Heynckes’ side were guilty of carelessness on a couple of occasions and the first half remained mysteriously goalless.
The pace remained high and the action came thick and fast in an absorbing second period, with both sides enjoying spells in the ascendant. Stefan Kießling broke the deadlock after 79 minutes with a messy goal hardly in keeping with the fine football of earlier in the match, before home substitute Karim Bellarabi scored on the break in stoppage time to seal Bayern’s defeat.
The result leaves FCB second in the Bundesliga on 48 points from 24 matches, still four off leaders Borussia Dortmund, although the champions play tonight at home to mid-table Mainz. The Bavarians are next in action on Saturday 10 March at home to Hoffenheim, with the crucial Champions League return against FC Basel just three days after that.
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