Bayern and Leverkusen shared spoils after first-half screamers

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 Robert Andrich, another German international from Leverkusen, who opened the score against the run of play. Bayern dictated the opening half an hour, but the only big chance they had was from Michael Olise’s free-kick.

It took another screamer for Bayern to level the score before halftime. It was a fitting equalizer from the 20-year-old Aleksandar Pavlovic, who kept Leon Goretzka out of the team and forced Joshua Kimmich to play outside his favored position.

Incidentally, those two successful long-range attempts were the only times either side had shots on target in the first-half.

Vincent Kompany addressed the issue at halftime. Bayern came out stronger after the break with Serge Gnabry and Olise starting to get more involved in the final third. But they were still missing the cutting edge to find solutions against Leverkusen’s solid defense.

Harry Kane, who already has 10 goals this term, had a quiet game before an injury saw him substituted five minutes from time. Leverkusen would be happier with the point as they extended their unbeaten run against Bayern to five matches.

What next for Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen?

Bayern will look to consolidate their lead in the Champions League standings when they travel to Aston Villa on Wednesday. The repeat of the 1982 European Cup final caused controversy in Birmingham amid a spike in ticket pricing.

Before October’s international break, Kompany’s side will travel to Eintracht Frankfurt where Bayern lost 5-1 last season.

A home game against newly-promoted Holstein Kiel awaits Leverkusen next weekend. In their debut Bundesliga season, Kiel struggled to meet the higher standard.

However, there will be another big game before that for Alonso’s troops. Leverkusen will host Christian Pulisic’s AC Milan on Tuesday in the Champions League.

Photo credit: IMAGO / Nordphoto