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Bayern Munich kicked off their 2021-22 Bundesliga campaign with a hard-fought draw against Borussia Monchengladbach. The hosts took an early lead via Alassane Plea in the 10th minute. The French striker finished off a swift attacking move to shock the reigning champions.
Bayern started to find their feet as the game progressed but Yann Sommer's quick reactions denied them the chance to find the equalizer. Robert Lewandowski finally found a way past the Swiss goalkeeper in the 42nd minute with a well-taken volley from a direct corner.
With parity being restored right before the first half, we were in for an entertaining second half. Though neither club could score the decisive goal, both sides had a couple of good goalscoring chances.
Bayern Munich are still winless under new manager Julian Nagelsmann, but with this being their first game of the season, they were expected to be a bit rusty. The defense did not look solid and the attackers lacked sharpness in front of goal.
With the two sides sharing the spoils in the opening fixture of the season, here, we take a look at the five talking points from the game.
#5 Robert Lewandowski back to business with a goal in the first game of the season
Robert Lewandowski only needed 42 minutes to open his account for the 2021-22 campaign. He scored 41 goals last season and was the biggest threat for the Bavarians in this game as well. He connected wonderfully with Joshua Kimmich's corner to beat Yann Sommer from close range.
Lewandowski was responsible for more than half of Bayern Munich's shots on target in the game. With this goal, he has now scored in the opening fixture of the last seven campaigns, a record which is unparalleled in the Bundesliga.
#4 Bayern Munich's defense does not look solid at the moment
Bayern Munich went a goal behind within 10 minutes and their defensive frailties were there for all to see. The defenders were often caught out of position and did not look comfortable in possession of the ball.
Dayot Upamecano had a disappointing outing on his debut for Bayern Munich and almost conceded a late penalty with a late challenge on Marcus Thuram. The only positive takeaway from the defensive third was the energetic performance of Alphonso Davies, who ran the show after the break.
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#3 Bayern Munich could not make their chances count
Bayern Munich dominated possession as always in the game and by the end had 66% possession. To their credit, they registered 21 shots but only nine were on target, of which five came from Robert Lewandowski.
Despite so many opportunities, their only goal of the game came from a set-piece situation. Joshua Kimmich delivered an out-swinging ball from the corner which was met wonderfully by Lewandowski. Chances were few and far between and some great saves from Yann Sommer also helped keep the Bayern Munich attackers at bay.
#2 Yann Sommer puts in an inspired display between the sticks
Yann Sommer had a great shift in the Borussia Monchengladbach goal tonight and had an interesting battle with Robert Lewandowski throughout the game. He denied the Polish striker on a couple of occasions in either half.
His first save of the game came against Serge Gnabry in the 14th minute. He got down just in time to save Gnabry's first-time volley. He again went down well to deny Lewandowski in the 26th minute.
The goalkeeper was finally beaten in the 42nd minute by Lewandowski's volley but one might argue that he could've done more to make a save at his near post. His best save of the game came in the second half when he stretched out a leg to deny a sureshot scoring opportunity. If not for his heroics, the hosts could've conceded at least a couple more goals.
#1 The wait for the first win as Bayern Munich manager for Nagelsmann continues
Bayern Munich were made to sweat and had their weaknesses exposed in the first game of the campaign. Julian Nagelsmann fielded a strong squad but there were a few new faces in the defensive third. Dayot Upamecano and Josip Stanišić struggled to settle in and it seems they need more time to adjust to their new surroundings.
Bayern Munich started slow last season as well but were able to get into their groove by Christmas and recorded wins in important games against title rivals. That's why we think given some time, Nagelsmann will also be able to bring the best out of the squad at his disposal and a first win might just be on the horizon.
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