Defending Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen secured a hard-fought 1-1 draw away to Bayern Munich on Saturday.
Whilst many were predicting a Bundesliga classic in the days prior to kick-off, the match itself failed to live up to expectations.
There were few goal-scoring opportunities at either end, with both teams engaging in a far more tactical chess match, rather than all-out war.
The result ensured Bayern Munich dropped their first Bundesliga points under Vincent Kompany, whilst Xabi Alonso’s charges were able to ensure their Bavarian rivals didn’t pull too far ahead.
The match was predicted to signify a changing of the guard
Heading into the encounter, Bayern Munich had scored 20 goals in their previous three games in all competitions.
In addition to becoming the first team to net nine in a single Champions League game, Bayern registered 11 goals across away matches at Kiel and Bremen.
On the contrary, Bayern Leverkusen stayed true to their never-die attitude. The Werkself once again salvaged dramatic wins in the Supercup, Bundesliga opener and last weekend’s game against Wolfsburg.
Ironically, it was at Bayern we first saw their fighting spirit under Xabi Alonso. A 94th-minute penalty from World Cup winner Exequiel Palacios salvaged them a point last year. The comprehensive 3-0 victory in the return fixture was their most impressive result of the historic season.
As such, Bayern were searching for a first win against Leverkusen in four games. That’s a stark contrast to the past where Bayern scored four or more against them on four occasions in the previous three seasons.
Fans were treated to screamers in a game of few chances
As Germany’s biggest club, it’s very common to see Bayern target the best players from their closest rivals.
After ending Bayern’s unprecedented 11-year championship winning streak, Leverkusen are in danger of losing Jonathan Tah and Florian Wirtz to Bayern.
However, it was…
Author : Eskender Tamrat
Publish date : 2024-09-28 19:21:48
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The post Bayern and Leverkusen shared spoils after first-half screamers first appeared on Foot & Soccer.
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Author : footsoccer
Publish date : 2024-09-28 19:24:59
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