Robert Lewandowski scores again but Bayern Munich surrender top spot in Freiburg draw
Robert Lewandowski scored his 199th Bundesliga goal, but Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich could only draw 1-1 at Freiburg ahead of next weekend’s Klassiker with title rivals Borussia Dortmund.
Freiburg 1-1 Bayern Munich
Goals: 1-0 Höler (3’), 1-1 Lewandowski (22’)
Freiburg played with a no-fear approach and they were rewarded inside the opening three minutes when Lucas Höler glanced Christian Günter’s cross beyond the despairing dive of Manuel Neuer stand-in Sven Ulreich. Freiburg continued to attack in waves as Mike Frantz shot wide and had a low strike cleared off the line by Jerome Boateng, before Bayern redressed the balance through Lewandowski. After Joshua Kimmich’s low drive was only half cleared, the Poland international showed exquisite technique to control Leon Goretzka’s lofted pass and dispatch a clinical left-footed scissor-kick into the net in one jaw-dropping motion.
Freiburg’s Niclas Höler fired off a warning shot soon after the restart, but Bayern dominated for large periods from thereon in. Lewandowski went within a whisker of turning in a Kingsley Coman cross and had a couple of efforts blocked before Alexander Schwolow was called on to make a fine double save from Boateng and James Rodriguez. Substitute Serge Gnabry added fresh impetus to the Bayern front line, testing Schwolow following a fine solo run and teeing up Lewandowski for a first-time effort that was met with a sensational reaction save. Lewandowski headed wide and Goretzka hit the woodwork in added time as Bayern slipped to second in the standings due to Dortmund's last-gasp win over Wolfsburg.
Match stats
- Freiburg have only lost one of their last eight league games – a 2-0 reverse against Bayer Leverkusen on Matchday 24.
- Niko Kovac is yet to oversee a win over Freiburg in six attempts as a coach. The reverse fixture was a 1-1 draw in November.
- Lewandowski needs one more to reach the 200-goal mark in the Bundesliga. The last player to do so was Werder Bremen's Manfred Burgsmüller in 1987.
- Höler has scored two of his five Bundesliga goals to date against Bayern.
- Despite having 35 per cent of possession in the first half, Freiburg registered as many goal attempts as Bayern (nine).
- Freiburg have not won a Bundesliga game without striker Nils Petersen in the side since February 2015 (D5, L6).
- Schwolow made a career-high eight saves in one Bundesliga match.
Line-ups
Freiburg: Schwolow – Stenzel, Schlotterbeck, Heintz, Günter – Höfler, Frantz (c) (Waldschmidt 69'), Haberer, Abrashi – Grifo – Höler (Gulde 79')
Unused subs: Frommann, Gulde, Niederlechner, Terrazzino, Gondorf, Okoroji
Out: Kath (groin), Kleindienst (knee), Koch (knee), Kübler (ankle), Petersen (thigh) Sallai (groin)
Coach: Christian Streich
Bayern: Ulreich – Kimmich, Boateng (Süle 73'), Hummels, Rafinha – Thiago, Goretzka, James – Müller (c) (Gnabry 55'), Lewandowski, Coman (Ribery 73')
Unused subs: Früchtl, Martinez, Sanches
Out: Alaba (thigh), Davies (knee), Neuer (calf), Robben (calf), Tolisso (knee)
Coach: Niko Kovac
Watch: James: "threw chances away"
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