Alassane Pléa gave the home side the lead, Robert Lewandowski equalized before the break.
After all: Robert Lewandowsi scored a goal in the eleventh game in a row across all seasons
An outstanding Yann Sommer stole Julian Nagelsmann's debut victory as coach of FC Bayern. In the 1: 1 (1: 1) of the defending champions against feared opponents Borussia Mönchengladbach at the sometimes spectacular opening of the 59th Bundesliga season on Friday, the record champions remained unbeaten in the first game of the season for the tenth year in a row. In front of 22,925 enthusiastic spectators in Borussia Park, which was sold out under Corona conditions, Alassane Pléa (10th minute) met for the Gladbach team with her new coach Adi Hütter and world footballer Robert Lewandowski (42nd) for Bayern.
The fact that Munich did not win again in Gladbach after two defeats was mainly due to the outstanding summer. The Swiss national goalkeeper drove the Bayern attackers, who Nagelsmann had declared “offensive monsters”, to despair with his parades.
Strong Gladbach start
Driven by the returning fans, the Gladbach team got off to a strong start. Against the visibly unsorted Bayern with a newly formed defense, the hosts were initially decisive for the game. After Patrick Herrmann had just missed the goal of national goalkeeper Manuel Neuer in his 300th Bundesliga game (3rd), Borussia took advantage of a mistake by Alphonso Davies. The ball, which was quickly passed into the top, was passed on to Pléa by captain Lars Stindl, who made the audience cheer with his goal.
After over a year of corona frustration, the fans created goose bumps in the first floodlit game in front of spectators. The new national coach, Hansi Flick, also sat in the stands. The fans celebrated their teams and themselves louder than in many a sold-out Borussia game in the past.
Dissatisfied: Julian Nagelsmann's team has not yet got going
Flick's Bayern successor Nagelsmann, on the other hand, clearly showed the frustration after Pléa's early goal. The new Bavarian had to do without two potential regular players on the defensive in Benjamin Pavard and Lucas Hernández, so that Josip Stanisic from the Regionalliga squad got the chance on the big stage. With Niklas Süle, newcomer Dayot Upamecano and Davies, the 21-year-old formed the – at the beginning – shaky back four.
“We don't know exactly where we stand, but the players are experienced enough to deal with such a situation,” said the new Bayern board member Oliver Kahn before the kick-off on Sat.1. One of the most experienced, Germany's Footballer of the Year Lewandowski, tested Sommer shortly after the deficit (14th) and in the 26th minute. On the second attempt, when Sommer got his foot in the shot, only with a bit of luck, Nagelsmann clapped both hands over his head.
Sand in the Bayern gear
In this phase, Munich let the dominance of the previous season flash and got better with minor mistakes that persisted. Summer also had to save against Stanisic, who repeatedly took an offensive role (37th). Against the direct acceptance by Lewandowski after a corner from Joshua Kimmich, the Swiss was then powerless. The Pole, who scored 41 goals last season, was successful on the opening day for the seventh time in a row. Record expanded. And set their own of eleven games with goals in a row from the 2019/20 season.
The team from Gladbach, who had scored the most points of all Bundesliga teams against Bayern in the past ten years (27), had to cope with this mood dampener during the break. The good record of the last four first round duels won shaky. Hütter, who came from Eintracht Frankfurt and who had already won against Bayern with Hessen, had to do without a total of five professionals on Friday evening.
Restless driver: Adi Hütter
Bayern built up more pressure the longer they played. Over the flanks, which in the meantime also occupied Thomas Müller from time to time, the record champions Lewandowski looked in the middle. The Hütter-Elf from the Lower Rhine, on the other hand, lost the vigor of the first half hour a little. With a fast, direct game it was seldom possible to outsmart the Bayern defense. Hütter kept sending his team forward with loud instructions.
To the chagrin of Hütter and the Gladbach fans, the focus was always on summer, who parried strongly against Davies (58th) and Lewandowski (60th) and still kept his team in the game. Hütter reacted and brought Jonas Hofmann for Herrmann and Marcus Thuram for Plea (64th). The game became more open again. Stindl tested Neuer after quickly winning the ball (70th), Thuram missed a good cross by just centimeters (77th).
Bavaria's findings
“Difficult question as to whether we are satisfied. What we played wasn't perfect football with a lot of mistakes, ”said Lewandowski on Sat.1 . Now the team has to “look ahead”. In Gladbach, “it was not easy to play, the atmosphere was really great,” said the goal scorer. “We have to do a lot of things even better.” Gladbach's Lars Stindl, meanwhile, said at DAZN: “Finally a really great, successful evening at Borussia-Park.” Right in the middle: Stefan Lainer, who played through, and Hannes Wolf, who was 72nd Minute was exchanged.
