FC Bayern Munich beat SC Freiburg 1-0 in the Bundesliga, but could have won much more. A dream goal by Matthijs de Ligt still gives the record champions an important away win in the fight for the championship and so FCB’s usury of chances was not punished.
After a long start, it was Matthijs de Ligt who made it 1-0 for FC Bayern with a dream goal from distance.
Thomas Tuchel had to change several positions compared to the cup game. Dayot Upamecano’s suspension and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s injury forced him to do so. Leon Goretzka and Kingsley Coman also stayed on the bench.
Benjamin Pavard was hissed at by the Freiburg fans. All information is available here.
SC Freiburg – FC Bayern Munich: The analysis
Tuchel brought in Davies and Gnabry for the suspended Upamecano and the injured Choupo-Moting. In addition, Mané and Musiala moved into the starting XI. In the first few minutes it was clear to Munich that they had big plans after the cup defeat. Again and again it went through the middle and the half-spaces, where Sané and Müller were very active. Freiburg saw themselves under pressure early on, after just nine minutes it could have been 1-0 for Munich when Gnabry narrowly missed with his head. Time and time again, Bayern managed to put themselves in good final positions through quick combinations. In the 18th minute, Mané was free after a pass and his lob just missed the goal.
Then Freiburg also had some good attacks without becoming really dangerous. Bayern kept going, but created far fewer chances than in the early stages. Only in the final phase of the first half did the game pick up speed again. The guests had good chances through Sané (41′) and Musiala (43′), but the sports club almost took the lead with the first well-played counterattack (44′). However, Doan hit the post from close range. And so it went into the break 0-0, which would have deserved significantly more goals.
The second half started with no changes on either side. Accordingly, the game looked the same. Bayern attacked, Freiburg defended with concentration. In the 52nd minute, however, de Ligt apparently had enough. He shot the ball into the corner from a good 25 meters away. Just a few seconds later, the SC was in trouble again. In the penalty area, Höler hit the ball with his hand. After a VAR intervention, Siebert decided that there would be no penalty for the Munich team. Bayern didn’t let that deter them, Mané almost made it 2-0 with a header (57′).
The game calmed down again for a few moments, Bayern now seemed to have everything under control. As during the week, Freiburg stayed focused and waited patiently for their chance. In the 70th minute, Yann Sommer parried a SC header sensationally with his foot. On the other hand, Bayern missed the decision through Sané (77th). Freiburg tried everything again in the final phase, but apart from a few standard situations, they hardly created any chances. In return, Bayern left too much behind. Gnabry failed twice in stoppage time, once on the Freiburg post.
Also because Bayern let the ball run smoothly, it was a deserved 1-0 win for the record champions, who remain at the top of the table. The result could have been higher given FCB’s usury of chances. With a lot of anger in their stomachs, they showed an increase in performance compared to the cup game.
SC Freiburg – Bayern Munich: The voices of the game
Christian Streich (Coach SC Freiburg): “The team gave everything, I’m very happy with the performance. Bayern almost only have world-class players on the pitch. It’s a shame for us that a shot like that is enough for Bayern to win.”
Thomas Tuchel (Bayern Munich coach): “It’s a very good win for us. It’s in our own hands in the league. Looking ahead to the Champions League, I’m hoping that a few injured players will come back. We need steam to find offensive solutions.”
FC Bayern Munich: Summer – João Cancelo (Stanisic, 89th), Pavard, de Ligt, Davies – Kimmich, Musiala (Goretzka, 68th), Sané (Mazraoui, 89th), Müller (Gravenberch, 77th), Mané – Gnabry
SC Freiburg – FC Bayern Munich: The data for the game
Gates: Matthijs de Ligt (1-0, 52′)
Yellow cards: Sadio Mane (74th)
The star of the game: Leroy Sané
Not only one of Bayern’s most active offensive players, but also one of the most dangerous. Again and again he called for balls between the lines, turned up and dribbled hard towards the Freiburg defense. The fact that he did not reward himself with a goal remains the biggest point of criticism. Not everything went as planned for the national player, but it is already clear that he could benefit from the change of coach.
The flop of the game: Sadio Mané
There was no real “flop” in this game. Nobody really fell off at Bayern. And yet with the history of the past few weeks, Mané’s disappointment is probably the greatest. The Senegalese had action and was trying to finally make a contribution in the form of goals or assists. But for the most part he was unlucky.
The referee: Daniel Siebert
Didn’t have many critical scenes to judge, but stayed calm in the heated final phase of the first round. The duel between de Ligt and Höler, which brought in the unrest, was difficult to assess. Tendency: More of an unfortunate foul by the Dutchman, but nothing to count Siebert for. The penalty scene, in which Höler clearly played the ball with his hand, was more controversial. Despite seeing the scene on screen, the referee decided against a penalty kick.
