Berlin: Reigning champions Bayern Munich dropped points for the second time in a row after courageous Union Berlin secured a 1-1 stalemate on home soil in the fifth round of the Bundesliga.
The “Bavarians” started brightly and controlled possession while Union kept all its men behind the ball, lurking for counterattack opportunities on Saturday evening.
Berlin shocked the visitors out of the blue in the 12th minute when Christopher Trimmel’s free kick into the box allowed Sheraldo Becker to open the scoring from 11 metres, reports Xinhua. Bayern answered only three minutes later as Joshua Kimmich’s deflected shot on target caught Union goalkeeper Frederik Ronnow flat-footed.
The visitors dominated possession and piled on the pressure, but Ronnow was on guard with a diving save to refuse Leroy Sane’s dangerous shot on target in the 36th minute.
Sane remained in the thick of things as he curled a shot from 20 metres just wide of the top right corner just before the half time whistle.
After the restart, Bayern started where they left off as Sadio Mane danced through Union’s defence before testing Ronnow from the tight angle in the 56th minute.
Union nearly flabbergasted Bayern against the run of the play but Jamie Leweling couldn’t overcome goalkeeper Manuel Neuer following a one-on-one with 75 minutes gone.
The German giants took over in the closing stages and should have snatched a late win, but Ronnow denied Mane’s winner from close range.
“As for the result, that’s fine. It’s not undeserved for either team. We must be content with the 1-1 tie,” said Bayern Munich head coach Julian Nagelsmann.
Elsewhere, Freiburg bounced back and moved 3-2 past Bayer Leverkusen to jump atop the standings.
Cologne extended its unbeaten run after easing 4-2 past Wolfsburg, who suffer its second straight loss.
Newly promoted Werder Bremen showed no mercy to bottom team Bochum as Niclas Fullkrug scored twice in the closing stages to clinch a 2-0 win.
Europa League winners Eintracht Frankfurt overcame uninspired Leipzig 4-0 and Stuttgart played out a 1-1 draw with newcomers Schalke.
–IANS
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