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This was a much-anticipated game between the two top teams of the Bundesliga, who are both hungry for the title this season. For the first time, RB Leipzig were above their opposition in the league table as they were looking to disrupt the overarching dominance of Bayern, who look to win their eighth successive title of this season.
Robert Lewandowski scored the first goal within three minutes, after he was through on goal with a pass from Thomas Muller. A penalty decision in the 37th minute was overruled by VAR after Marcel Sabitzer was perceived to challenge Lucas Hernandez unfairly in the box.
It seemed as though Bayern would end the first half on top but a penalty was given, this time at the other end of the pitch. Lucas Hernandez was the culprit as he brought down Yussuf Poulsen inside the box. Emil Forsberg converted the penalty to give his side the equaliser.
Although both sides had chances in the second half, the goalkeepers ensured that the match would remain an equal affair. Without any further delay, let us look at the three talking points from the match.
#1 A game of two halves
The first half was dominated by Bayern Munich, who had close to 70% of possession and the lion’s share of chances. The Bavarian side scored quickly through Lewandowski in the third minute, when Muller stole the ball from Lukas Klostermann.
The recently turned 30 year old immediately played a through ball to the Pole, who wrong-footed Péter Gulácsi to slot the ball into the bottom right corner. After the goal, Bayern were in complete control. They were able to retrieve the ball from the opposition and slow the play down until the right opportunity arrived.
On the other hand, Leipzig were much more erratic in the first half as they played many slopped passes. Their defensive positioning was quite poor and this led to Bayern’s first goal. However, they were able to grab a goal before the break and improved drastically afterwards.
They pressed Bayern constantly, causing them to lose possession. This allowed Julian Nagelsmann’s side to create more chances. This was evident right at the start of the second half, with two chances from Marcel Halstenberg and Nordi Mukiele blocked by Benjamin Pavard and Manuel Neuer respectively.
In the end, it was a great game to watch for fans and neutrals alike with both teams giving a high-octane performance.
#2 The battle of two strikers
Robert Lewandowski and Timo Werner have been lethal of late. Before the game, they were top scorers of the league, with Lewandowski on six and Werner on five. It was fascinating to see how the two strikers played.
In the first half, Lewandowski showcased his ability as one of the best strikers with his first goal. This was already his seventh goal of the season as he looks to become top scorer for a fifth time in his career.
After his first goal, he had three further chances to add to his goal tally. Meanwhile, Timo Werner did not even have a sniff on goal. Due to Bayern’s dominance in the first half, Werner spent more time chasing down balls and defending rather than shooting.
However, Werner was instrumental to his side’s first goal since his pass out wide to Poulsen led to Hernandez’s late challenge and the subsequent penalty.
As Leipzig moved up a gear in the second half, Werner was given more chances to run at defenders. He nearly scored in the 59th minute with an ambitious back-heel flick which hit the side-netting. He missed again a few minutes later after his shot fizzed past Manuel Neuer in the 66th minute.
Overall, Lewandowski got the goal for his side and it seems that he won the battle between the two strikers this time.
#3 Impressive performances from both goalkeepers
The second half would have yielded more goals if it were not for the acrobatics of Bayern’s Manuel Neuer and Leipzig’s Peter Gulacsi.
Neuer had to save sharply after Mukiele fired a fierce shot towards the bottom left corner in the 50th minute. The veteran goalkeeper’s most impressive save was against Sabitzer ten minutes later.
The Austrian struck a powerful shot a few yards outside the box. The shot swerved from left to right and Neuer had to react quickly by lifting his left arm after he had positioned himself to the right.
Bayern’s no.1 saved his side from losing in the 89th minute, when he snuffed out Werner’s shot from the right.
Gulacsi also had an inspiring game in goal. After Corentin Tolisso had come on for Bayern, the Frenchman directed a volley at the goalkeeper. The Hungarian stuck out his right arm instinctively to save his side.
Gulacsi made two fingertip saves, one in the 72nd minute and the other in the dying moments at the match. The former occurred after Coman’s shot was deflected and the goalkeeper had to tip it onto the crossbar. In the 92nd minute, Niklas Sule attempted to head the ball from the back post only for the 29 year old to tip it beyond the post.
All in all, a lot of credit should go to the goalkeepers for keeping their respective sides in contention and providing an entertaining and gripping display right until the very end.
