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David Alaba, Thomas Muller, Serge Gnabry, Joshua Kimmich and Ivan Perisic found their places in the Bayern Munich XI against Bayer Leverkusen, after the quintet were rested during the 6-0 win at Crvena Zvezda in midweek.
Hansi Flick had a charmed start to life at the Allianz Arena, winning all of his first four games in charge - two in the Bundesliga and two in the Champions League - without conceding a goal. But Leverkusen set about spoiling all that on a night Bayern dominated but where the away side emerged with their first Bundesliga victory in six trips to Bavaria.
Flick had made his Bayern debut as a 20-year-old in 1985 against Leverkusen in a game which Bayern lost 3-1. Three and a half decades later, Flick's first game as manager against Leverkusen also resulted in defeat for the Bavarian club.
It was not going to be Bayern's night as a determined 10-man Leverkusen held on to their lead to celebrate only their second Bundesliga win in Munich in thirty years, and their first in 6. Here are 3 talking points from the Bayern - Leverkusen game:
#1 High defensive line costs Bayern dear
Bayern's attacking game plan was obvious from the outset as they laid into Leverkusen from the get go. But the Bavarian side played a risky game by opting for a high defensive line.
Leverkusen were patient enough to soak up wave after wave of Bayern pressure before seizing the moment to thrust forward. Twice Kevin Volland released the excellent Leon Bailey, whose two fine finishes past Manuel Neuer ultimately proved to be the difference between the two teams.
#2 Wasteful Bayern
On the night, the home-side produced 18 shots on goal and three efforts on target. But a combination of wasteful finishing, indecisive passing in the attacking third and an inspired Leverkusen keeper combined to condemn Bayern to their first defeat in five games in the Hansi Flick era.
Bayern started the game on the ascendancy as Gnabry hit the woodwork with a low drive in the ninth minute. The home side's profligacy was to be immediately punished as Leverkusen opened the scoring at the other end a minute later.
Far from being disheartened by the setback, Bayern pressed forward and Ivan Perisic blazed over from close range. Moments after eliciting a save from the Leverkusen keeper Lukas Hradecky, Gnabry set up Muller - only for Wendell's fine intervention to prevent the German international from scoring the equalizer.
Bayern capitalized on an erratic defensive clearance from Leverkusen at the half hour mark. Lewandowski drew defenders away, allowing Muller to score his first Bundesliga goal in 1359 minutes, ending the longest scoring drought of his career.
Parity was short-lived though. Leverkusen launched a counterattack as Volland released Bailey, whose run eluded Javi Martinez before a fine low finish beat Manuel Neuer for the second time on the night.
Lewandowski produced the miss of the night seven minutes later. Feeding off Perisic's fine through ball, the prolific Pole somehow contrived to shoot wide of the Leverkusen keeper. Much to his relief, the goal would not have stood as the linesman had signaled offside.
The impressive Gnabry broke clear in a 3 on 1 attack but incredulously the German winger passed to Perisic on his left, allowing Sven Bender to produce a last-ditch tackle. An unmarked Muller on the right was primed to slot in the equalizer but the ball never arrived his way as Bayern headed to the break trailing 1-2.
Bayern started the second half much in the same way they had the first, as Leon Goretzka flicked a header inches wide before firing well wide with a long-range effort. The defending champions came back at Leverkusen again, Lewandowski stinging the palms of the Leverkusen keeper before Muller's effort off the rebound was thwarted by the away custodian.
Kingsley Coman came in for the wasteful Perisic and Muller made way for Philippe Coutinho as Flick rang in the changes midway through the second half. But the action shifted to the other end of the pitch as Neuer foiled Diaby.
Goretzka hit the woodwork off a corner ten minutes from time but the ball simply refused to bulge the Bayern net for the third time on the night.
When Jonathan Tah was sent off for upending Countinho's run on goal, Bayern had the numerical superiority. But the ensuing free-kick from Lewandowski was hit straight at the Levekusen keeper. The Poland international smacked an effort against the woodwork in injury time.
Lewandowski, who had scored in each of the first 11 games of the season, had a second scoreless game on the trot as Bayern slipped to fourth in the table, three points adrift of Leipzig. The league leaders celebrated their maiden entry to the Round of 16 in the Champions League in midweek with a 3-2 win at bottom club Paderborn.
Leverkusen meanwhile climb up to seventh in the table as they kept Lewandowski off the scoresheet for the 13th time in 16 Bundesliga games - the longest by any team in the German top-flight.
#3 Bayern concede their first goals and lose their first game in the Hansi Flick era
Hansi Flick was handed the reins of the first-team after erstwhile coach Nico Kovac faced the sack following Bayern's 5-1 defeat at Eintracht Frankfurt, which marked the Bavarian side's heaviest Bundesliga defeat in a decade.
Bayern started life under their newest coach with a thumping 4-0 home win over Borussia Dortmund in the first Der Klassiker of the season, before winning 2-0 at Olympiacos which sealed Bayern's passage to the Round of 16.
Following the international break, Bayern won 4-0 at Dusseldorf despite Lewandowski failing to score for the first time in 12 Bundesliga games. They followed that up with a thumping 6-0 win at Crvena Zvezda in the Champions League as the Bavarian side won their group with a game to spare.
Bayern had beaten their Matchday 13 visitors, Bayer Leverkusen, in each of their five Bundesliga home games. But the script was flipped on the day as Die Werkself returned home with only their second league win at Bayern since 1989, and Bayern conceded their first goals and first loss in five games in the Hansi Flick era..
