Freiburg’s Lucas Hoeler found the net in the 87th minute, securing a 2-2 draw against Bayern Munich on Friday. This result dealt another blow to Bayern’s Bundesliga title aspirations. The champions now trail league leaders Bayer Leverkusen by seven points, with Leverkusen having 61 points from 24 matches and a chance to extend their lead further against Cologne on Sunday.
Bayern Munich, gearing up to face Lazio in the Champions League last 16 second leg, endured a challenging start to their 2,000th Bundesliga game. Despite Bayern’s goalkeeper Manuel Neuer making several remarkable saves early in the match, the team struggled to maintain structure and discipline in the first half.
Bayern Munich struggle yet again away from home
Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel expressed his disappointment, stating, “We played completely without structure. We were not disciplined. We were not in our positions; we lost possession going forward and allowed them to counterattack. It was very clear that we wanted to play here with a different level of determination, but we only started doing that after conceding a goal. But one good half is not good enough to win here. It wasn’t a matter of will, and we played recklessly for the first half hour.”
Freiburg capitalized on Bayern’s crisis, taking the lead in the 12th minute through Christian Guenter after a series of missed opportunities. Bayern equalized in the 35th minute with a stunning long-range shot from Mathys Tel. Despite an improved performance from Bayern in the second half, Freiburg managed to score again in the 87th minute through Hoeler, securing a draw.
With just one win from their last four league games, Bayern’s title hopes appear to be fading. The gap between them and Leverkusen could potentially extend to 10 points by Sunday night, leaving Bayern in a precarious position. Tuchel’s side is currently without a victory in four matches, including a significant defeat to Leverkusen, which significantly bolstered Leverkusen’s title chances.
As it stands, Bayern Munich, along with star striker Harry Kane, may conclude the season without any silverware unless they produce an extraordinary performance in the UEFA Champions League.
