The Sunday Mail
MISFIRING Bayern Munich dropped their first points of an up to now faultless season in a goalless draw at Eintracht Frankfurt on Friday.
Pep Guardiola’s Bavarian giants, who had been ten from ten this league campaign, were thwarted by a stoic Eintracht defence.
The stalemate, the first time Bayern have failed to win a Bundesliga game since mid-May, put them eight points clear of Borussia Dortmund.
Bayern arrived in Frankfurt three days after beating Wolfsburg in the German Cup and ahead of the arrival of Arsenal on Wednesday in the Champions League.
Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer reflected: “We wanted to win, we didn’t create enough chances and Frankfurt were clever.”
Eintracht’s Stefan Aigner said: “We tried to give them as little space as possible, it was a great performance from us today. It was only a point, but it means a lot.”
The game was only 17 seconds old when Aigner picked up a yellow card for a late challenge on Rafinha.
Eintracht keeper Lukas Hradecky was forced into an early one-handed save to palm Arturo Vidal’s header over the crossbar.
Bayern were dominating but having difficulty breaking down a well organised Eintracht defence.
A rare foray down the other end then earned Eintracht their first corner, with Robert Lewandowski heading Marc Stendera’s delivery out of danger.
The hosts deservedly went into the break all square. Seconds after the restart Eintracht were let off the hook when an unmarked Douglas Costa pounced on a loose ball in the area, Hradecky blocking the shot with his legs.
Guardiola beefed up his forward line on 50 minutes, introducing Thomas Mueller for right-back Rafinha.
As the game opened up Eintracht had two major chances – first with a dangerous corner then a fluffed clearance by Neuer, who deftly recovered to save Stendera’s volley.
Bayern captain Philipp Lahm was booked for a foul on the ever dangerous Aigner and was replaced shortly after by David Alaba as Guardiola went for broke.
Lewandowski, set up by Arjen Robben’s high cross, had a gift-wrapped chance on 80 minutes but one-on-one with Hradecky blasted wide.
He then had a goal ruled correctly offside as Bayern ran out of time to maintain their perfect campaign. — AFP
