Bayern Munich dropped their first points of the Bundesliga season after a frustrating 1-1 draw with Bayer Leverkusen.
Scorers: Pavlović 39′; Andrich 31′
The record champions versus the reigning champions was always going to be a nervy clash at the Allianz Arena. And after 90 minutes, Xabi Alonso’s side walked away slightly happier despite the split points.
Bayer Leverkusen were happy to sit back and let Bayern Munich control their turf for 90 minutes. Yet, Jamal Musiala’s magic, combined with Harry Kane’s dull performance, meant the hosts could not make the most of it.
Florian Wirtz, Granit Xhaka and company pulled off an all-around defensive performance, waiting to strike when the opportunity arrived. And it arrived out of nowhere when Robert Andrich’s long-range drive from 21 metres out beat a diving Manuel Neuer at 110 kilometres per hour.
Bayern, however, equalised in the blink of an eye with a rocket goal of their own. Aleksandar Pavlović turned things 1-1 with a stunner after his half-volley found the top right corner at 102 kilometres per hour from 25 metres out.
The hosts’ dominance continued throughout the second half. They registered a staggering 17 shots to two for Leverkusen and had 71% possession of the ball, but only three efforts found the target.
The organized and compact visiting defence forced Joshua Kimmich and Alphonso Davies to strike from range, while Serge Gnabry was somehow denied by the post and the crossbar. Nobody cooked up a late winner, so Bayern were left frustrated in their first true test.
To add more misery on the night for manager Vincent Kompany, Kane was hauled off the pitch in the dying moments with an apparent ankle injury.
Looking at the table, the draw means Bayern remain undefeated and lead the Bundesliga by two points while Leverkusen sit third.