Die Folgen: Bayern’s 2-2 draw with Dortmund (Bavarian Football Works)
When it rains for Bayern Munich, it pours.
The Bavarians held an advantage over Borussia Dortmund late in the match, but amid injuries, missed opportunities, and defensive mistakes, Bayern Munich squandered the lead and ultimately settled for a 2-2 draw. The end result will not make fans happy, but this was one of those oddball games that occasionally occurs during a season.
Let’s dive into the details. Here are some quick hitters on the match:
- As always, let’s begin with a look at the starting XI:
- Ismaël Saibari and Serge Gnabry getting the nod in the attack was not wholly unexpected, but Kim Min-jae’s selection over Jonathan Tah raised an eyebrow. There is a lot of noise surrounding Tah and his role (or lack thereof) on the squad.
- From just about the outset, it was a series of unfortunate events for Bayern Munich. After a period of play where neither side fully asserted itself, the Bavarians started to feel the wrath of the injury gods.
- In the 8th minute, Harry Kane was so deep into his own defensive end that he ended up defending a cross after Jonas Urbig badly misplaced a pass. The man truly does it all. It is great that Kane is so versatile and willing to drop back to help out so much, though hopefully it does not become too predictable for the opposition.
- In the 29th minute, Ismaël Saibari went down with an ankle injury that looks like it could keep him on the shelf for a while. Nathaniel Brown subbed in for the Moroccan, which was—at least—a little telling regarding what the coaching staff thinks of Lennart Karl at the moment. Saibari was photographed leaving the Allianz Arena on crutches after the match.
- Saibari probably should have scored as he bore down on Gregor Kobel on a breakaway, but he just lacked that finishing touch.
- Just two minutes later, Serge Gnabry was felled by what appeared to be a muscular injury—a bad sign considering his recent and past history. Josip Stanišić came on for Gnabry, which allowed Alphonso Davies to push up to the left wing.
- Just before his injury, Gnabry cleared a long ball and looked to be moving gingerly.
- Aaron Danks certainly got his first taste of being Bayern Munich manager with that kind of injury luck.
- Obviously, the majority of the chatter focused on Karl getting passed over. While he has not been great this season, he still represents a more dangerous option than Brown. Such is life, though, when you do not meet the desired standards. Hopefully, Karl will use this as motivation to get back on track.
- Bayern Munich made quite a few uncharacteristic mistakes.
- It was good to see Joshua Kimmich back out on the field. The game was probably huge for him to help regain some semblance of normalcy.
- Just a reminder: Gregor Kobel is really good.
- Bayern Munich’s attack was not exactly clicking on all cylinders for the majority of the match, but the early stages were especially rough.
- In the 34th minute, after a chaotic series of events sparked by a horrible pass from Kim to Dayot Upamecano, Jobe Bellingham appeared to score a goal before it was called off. This came only after a collision between Carney Chukwuemeka and Jonas Urbig that resulted in a knee-on-knee challenge that had to make Ben Askren wince. It really did not matter whether it was ruled offside because Chukwuemeka’s flying knee should have earned him a card.
- In the 38th minute, Konrad Laimer sprinted up the field after receiving a pass on the run from Michael Olise and fired a shot on net that—fortuitously—bounced right back to him, setting up a nice goal. Even after everything that had happened to that point, Bayern Munich somehow managed to take the lead.
- Aside from the goal, this was one of Laimer’s best showings of the season. This marks two good games in a row, which should help the Austrian regain the feel and confidence that were so prevalent last season.
- A handball in the 55th minute resulted in a penalty kick for the Bavarians. Kane’s penalty attempt shockingly hit the woodwork, which would play a massive role in the outcome of the match.
- Serhou Guirassy made the Kane miss hurt in the 60th minute, evening up the game for BVB.
- In the 66th minute, a short corner to Kimmich resulted in a cross to Kane, whose header across the goal box met a hard-charging Upamecano to give the Bavarians the lead once more.
- At that point, it felt like Bayern Munich had secured what it needed to hold on for a home victory, but… not so fast.
- In the 89th minute, Fábio Silva improbably capitalized on a mad scramble around the net and knotted the game at 2-2, which stung. Kane’s missed penalty and an attempt by Karl in the 5th minute of added time that hit the crossbar probably hurt even more.
- Overall, this was a disappointing result for the Bavarians on a few levels, but let’s not pretend this is the end of the season. Sure, the score was a letdown, but the injuries were the real bummer. All that said, it is still early in the season, and the Hinrunde is all about making it to the winter break in one piece (oops!). These injuries will not help fans feel any better, but the season is a journey, and there will be plenty of ups and downs. If a team has to deal with adversity, it might as well happen early on so it can help bond the group. This squad will have been put through the ringer by the time mid-December arrives. Barring more injuries and long-term absences of key players, Bayern Munich is still in a good position. Almost no season is perfect, and right now it really comes down to this: will the Bavarians pull themselves up off the mat and push forward, or will they wilt under adversity? The smart money says there is still plenty of fight left in this dog.
If you missed our Initial Analysis, Recap, Match Awards, Observations, or Postgame Podcast, give them a look or a listen.
Everton to make move for Rashford? (ESPN)
Everton could be targeting Manchester United attacker Marcus Rashford for a January move:
Everton are weighing up a January loan for Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford on a deal similar to that of Manchester City winger Jack Grealish, according to Football Insider. The 28-year-old England international has returned to United’s squad following previous loan spells with Aston Villa and Barcelona, but has yet to register a goal contribution this season and could be looking for a way out.
Bayern the frontrunner for Brunner (Fußball News journalist Ekrem Konur)
Is Bayern Munich really interested in German striker Paris Brunner? Maybe:
🚨#ASMonaco Bayern Munich have moved into pole position to sign Paris Brunner, whom they view as a long-term successor to Harry Kane.
📞 The German giants are pushing to win the race for the talented striker, who is also attracting interest from Arsenal, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain.
🔄 Bayern see Brunner as a key part of their future attacking plans and are currently considered to be in a strong position.
⏳ Further developments regarding the youngster’s future are expected in the coming months. 🇩🇪
Brunner is an interesting prospect, but he is far from a finished product. When it comes to a post-Harry Kane plan, it seems a little unlikely that Bayern Munich would gamble on a player who is not a world-class No. 9.
Bayern battling Gunners, United for 17-year-old? (Goal)
Bayern Munich could be looking at Cruzeiro midfielder Eduardo Pape:
Premier League sides Arsenal and Newcastle United are preparing to go head-to-head with German giants Bayern Munich in the race to sign Cruzeiro midfield prodigy Eduardo Pape. Despite yet making his senior debut in Brazil, the 17-year-old prospect has already caught the attention of elite European scouts with his mature displays at youth level.
Barca eyeing Bergvall? (TEAMtalk)
FC Barcelona could be taking a look at Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Lucas Bergvall:
Lucas Bergvall’s limited role at Tottenham Hotspur continues to attract attention from some of Europe’s biggest clubs, with Barcelona one side monitoring the 20-year-old Swedish international, sources have confirmed to TEAMtalk.
Barcelona have renewed their long-standing admiration for the player. The Catalan club tracked Bergvall closely when he was still at Djurgården in 2024, only to lose out in the race to Tottenham. Sources suggest they are once again assessing him as a potential midfield reinforcement, valuing his technical quality, athleticism and ability to play in more than one midfield role.
The Swede is viewed as a long-term prospect who could develop into a key figure for Barcelona, who already have superb young midfielders like Pedri, Marc Bernal and Gavi in their ranks. However, Barca are not alone as multiple sides look to take advantage of Bergvall’s situation at Tottenham.
Napoli have also added Bergvall to their list of midfield targets. The Serie A side are evaluating options amid possible changes in the centre of the pitch and see the Tottenham man as a profile that fits their requirements. Italian sources state they are following his situation closely.
A move to Naples would likely offer clearer opportunities for regular football than the intense competition for places at Barcelona. Juventus, however, have shown the most concrete short-term interest, with sources stating they are keen on signing Bergvall on loan un January until the end of the season.
If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor…
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