BAYERN MUNICH’S DIFFICULT week continued as Hertha Berlin came from two goals down to claim a 2-2 draw in a pulsating clash at the Olympiastadion.
Trailing 2-0 in the 49th minute, the home side turned the match around in the space of seven second-half minutes to dramatically deny Willy Sagnol a debut victory as Bayern boss.
Sagnol was installed on an interim basis following the sacking of Carlo Ancelotti on Thursday and appeared on course to start his stewardship with three comfortable points.
Dropped for the 3-0 defeat at Paris Saint-Germain, the result that cost Ancelotti his job, Mats Hummels joined Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery in the champions’ starting XI and dispatched an early header to make it 1-0.
And when Robert Lewandowski added a second shortly after the restart, the visitors appeared set to put a dramatic few days behind them.
But Ondrej Duda and Salomon Kalou responded for Hertha in a chaotic spell to ensure Bayern stay five points off pacesetters Borussia Dortmund, with the injury to Ribery adding to the Bavarian giants’ growing list of problems.
Sagnol had no hesitation in recalling Ribery and Robben and the pair immediately linked up for the game’s opening chance, with the Frenchman nodding tamely from Robben’s clever cross.
Hummels was determined to prove a point of his own and should have done better when he headed Joshua Kimmich’s corner past the post.
The Germany defender made no mistake a second time around, though, as he expertly directed Jerome Boateng’s cross beyond an outstretched Rune Jarstein for a 1-0 lead.
Hummels’ opener arrived in just the 10th minute and the action remained relentless, with Hertha having a penalty overruled by the VAR after Javi Martinez was initially punished for a challenge on Vladimir Darida.
Bayern’s aerial dominance continued as Martinez whistled a header over the bar, before Lewandowski twice went close to doubling the advantage amid a near-constant stream of chances.
The striker first saw a dinked finish cleared off the line by a recovering Niklas Stark after the ball broke kindly in the area, before he next fired narrowly wide on the turn as Hertha somehow escaped to half-time with only a goal deficit.
Almost unthinkably, the end-to-end drama only intensified in the moments after the restart.
Lewandowski muscled his way to goal and beat Jarstein in a one-on-one to extend the visitors’ advantage, but their 2-0 lead lasted only two minutes as Genki Haraguchi splendidly weaved through a crowded penalty area and teed up Duda for a simple tap-in.
And it was 2-2 in the 56th minute, with Kalou firing home at close-range after Corentin Tolisso missed a chance to head away from a free-kick.
Sagnol’s mounting headaches grew when Ribery trod on the ball and hobbled off with what appeared to be a potentially long-term knee injury.
The stoppage in play for the winger to receive treatment served to halt Hertha’s momentum, enabling Bayern to stabilise and secure what proved to be a hard-earned point.
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Very impressed by him over the two games against Salzburg. The price is ridiculously low too…
Great thing about Liverpool’s champions league group is that we’ve played two teams (Genk and Salzburg) with good young coaches who play very similar styles of football to us. Minamino and Genk’s Berge were the two opposition players who impressed most for me, and the Calibre of journalist (Reddy, Pearce etc) talking about this move does suggest it’s well in place.
Michael Edwards does it again, most likely…
This would be a very screwed signing from Liverpool if it comes through. Very tidy player and for that price in todays market. Almost no risk…
@Ottomaaan: Screwed indeed
Young,quick,scores goals…a nuisance when he doesn’t have the ball.
Go get him.
No Sancho, so
@Alexi: why, because of the massive 7m it’s going to cost to buy Minamino?
Don’t think the two moves have anything to do with each other.
@Alexi: Cant see klopp signing sancho
@Peter Govan: he definitely doesn’t sound lately like he has the right type of character for klopp or Liverpool
@Alexi: If LFC want Sancho they will get him. With an abundance of WC players it’s very hard to fit someone else in. Perhaps leaving some space for mBappe (summer more likely).
@Alexi: Do liverpool need him? Should be looking at proven players, you could buy 3/4 good squad players for the £100 million sancho would cost.
Centre back and left back needs backup.
@Paddy Kavanagh: I think they absolutely need him. Liverpool’s front 3 have been dogged now for 3seasons and there form or fitness will go if they can’t be rotated. Also if u want to continue staying at the top sometimes u need to buy big, I do agree they need lb and CB cover too though.
@6CL: Mbappe is going nowhere near Anfield unless PSG are going out of business or he’s taking a absolutely massive paycut, and I say that as an LFC Fan. Yeah he’s talented, his age profile is right, but his personality suits a move to Madrid where he can live a Galactico lifestyle and actually win important trophies.
@ℝ:
@6CL: let’s see
@6CL: don’t mean that LFC won’t win important trophies, we will. Just that compared to being Ligue 1 champions year after year virtually uncontested, La Liga and Copa Del Rey are more important…
A number of fringe Liverpool players must be watching this with interest. Is he a cheap deal or in to replace them. Harry Wilson, Shaqiri, and Lallana could all move behind him in the pecking order if he makes an impact.
@Dan: I still think there’s a place for Shaqiri at anfield (might be biased because for some reason I just adore him?!). Think Lallana will be gone in the summer, as will Harry Wilson. Wilson is a decent player but a club like Bournemouth is his level.
@Dan: Lallana will move on….Milner might too. Liverpool are going to be doing a bit of a minor overhaul this summer anyway, just getting this guy in early
@James Doyle: If Leeds come up Milner will leave.
@Peter Dunne: especially with milners current deal up at the end of the year. Be sorry to see him go, he’s been a great servant since coming in
James Pearce reckons hes ours on Jan 1st.
Beat UTD Milan & Moenchengladbach to his signature.Just over 7m.
Good business.
Edward’s strikes again.
He was superb in both games and wouldn’t cost a penny as the club would sell a million shirts in Japan once he signed.