Bayern Munich’s perfect start to the season came to an end as they were held by Manuel Baum-led FC Augsburg in the tightly contested Bavarian derby.
FC Augsburg became the first side to take points off Bayern Munich this season as a brave-hearted display saw them clinching a point in the Bavarian derby on Tuesday evening. The 1-1 draw marks an end of Bayern’s seven-game winning streak in all competitions, with Niko Kovac failing to equal Carlo Ancelotti’s record of eight wins in a row, during his first season in charge of the club.
The hosts initially struggled to breach the organised Augsburg defence, who showed excellent discipline throughout the game. However, after a frustrating first half, Bayern managed to net the opener just after the restart when Serge Gnabry broke free from a quick counter-attack before squaring the ball to Arjen Robben, who made no mistake in finding the back of the net.
Bayern looked significantly better in the second half and though they had managed to double their advantage through Franck Ribery in the 84th minute. But, Thomas Muller was adjudged to have been offside during the build-up and thus, the goal was disallowed. Even then, the hosts looked well on their way to seal a narrow win before Manuel Neuer fluffed a late corner.
The Bayern captain lost control of the ball, which fell straight to Jeffery Gouweleeuw, whose driven shot found the chest of Felix Gotze for Augsburg’s equaliser, as the match ended as a draw. The Hard Tackle now runs the rule over Niko Kovac’s men in their disappointing draw with their Bavarian rivals last night.
Manuel Neuer: 5/10
Responded well whenever he was called upon throughout the game as the German international made a couple of good saves in each of the halves. But, a surprising error in the 86th minute saw Augsburg unceremoniously find the equaliser, ultimately costing his side valuable two points.
Joshua Kimmich: 8/10
Proved his worth once again with another diligent performance as a right-back. The German international dominated the right flank throughout the game, often bombing forward not only to stretch the game but also to provide support to the Bayern attackers in the final third. Also made a few accurate crosses into the box, which Sandro Wagner failed to make the most of.
Niklas Sule: 7/10
Sule was colossal in the air, winning a whopping six aerial duels against Augsburg – a figure only bested by Mats Hummels. He was relatively solid overall, preventing Michael Gregoritsch to find any clear openings inside the box. But, Niko Kovac will certainly expect even better performances from the young defender in the upcoming fixtures.
Mats Hummels: 7/10
As iterated earlier, Hummels more headed duels than any other player on Tuesday. But, the former Borussia Dortmund skipper somewhat struggled to keep Andre Hahn quiet. Did play a vital role in the build-up though, foraging 66 accurate passes along with a key pass.
Leon Goretzka: 4/10
Deployed in an unusual left-back, Goretzka ended up being one of the worst Bayern players of the night. Goretzka looked clueless throughout the evening, often allowing the likes of Andre Hahn and Raphael Framberger acres of space down the left flank. He was rightly subbed off after the restart as he made way for David Alaba.
Javi Martinez: 6/10
Replacing Thiago Alcantara as the defensive midfielder, Javi Martinez produced a decent shift, playing a crucial role in build-up play. The Spaniard made a couple of key tackles and interceptions but lacked the quality to move around the pitch and dictate the flow of the game.
Renato Sanches: 9/10
By far the most influential player for Bayern on the night, Renato Sanches picked up from where he left off against Benfica last week, putting in another valiant display in the centre of the pitch. Indeed, his performance was a far cry from what the Swansea fans had witnessed during his short stint at the Welsh outfit.
The Portuguese sensation was solid in the middle of the park, driving the ball from defence to the final third while also providing a creative spark for the Bayern attack. Simply put, he operated as the catalyst for the Bayern attack, which was imperative for the home side, especially with the absence of players like James Rodriguez and Thiago Alcantara in the starting lineup.
Thomas Muller: 7/10
Another convincing display from the German international, who worked hard to create space for his teammates. His clever movements in the final third allowed the Bayern attackers, particularly, Sandro Wagner, to have more freedom. His valiant display, however, was overlooked when he was found guilty of being offside after Franck Ribery had initially scored Bayern’s second of the night in the 84th minute.
Serge Gnabry: 8/10
Deserves credit for wreaking a havoc in the Augsburg defence with his mazy runs in behind the defence. Aside from his dynamism in the final third, Gnabry also produced an excellent left-footed strike in the first half, which forced a stunning save from Alexander Luthe, before turning on the gears to provide the assist for Robben’s opener just after the restart. Made way for Franck Ribery around the hour mark.
Sandro Wagner: 4/10
An forgetful attacking display from Sandro Wagner, who was ineffective for almost the entirety of the game. While he appeared tentative on the ball, Wagner also fluffed a lot of good opportunities throughout the course of the game, missing chances that would have been put to rest, had it been Robert Lewandowski.
Arjen Robben: 7/10
98 – @ArjenRobben (@FCBayernEN) has scored his 98th #Bundesliga goal, thus drawing level with @Aubameyang7 and Bum-Kun Cha – only 6 foreign players have scored more Bundesliga goals than Robben. Finisher. #FCBFCA pic.twitter.com/CcbGmTE0dB
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) September 25, 2018
A commendable effort from the Dutchman, who relentlessly attacked the opposing defence throughout the game. Robben grew in influence as the game progressed, thanks to his mazy runs and clever movements in the wider positions. His second-half opener was his 98th Bundesliga goal and quite astonishingly, it also helped him maintain his record of scoring in every home game this season.
SUBSTITUTES
David Alaba: 7/10
Alaba provided some much-needed solidity on the left-flank after replacing Leon Goretzka at half-time. While he may not have been as influential as he was against Schalke last weekend, his partnership with Franck Ribery later in the second half played its part terrorizing the opposing defence.
Franck Ribery: 7/10
Maintained Bayern’s attacking consistency on the left flank after coming on for Serge Gnabry around the hour mark. His 84th-minute goal was disallowed after Thomas Muller was found offside during the build-up.
Thiago Alcantara: N/A
Replaced Sandro Wagner in the 75th minute as Kovac opted for more control in midfield. But, Thiago picked up a yellow just minutes after his introduction and had very little time to settle himself in the middle of the park.
