Battle of two halves ends in a deserved draw - Red Bulls led by two, Bavarians caught up

Bayern Munich produced a spirited comeback to avoid a first Bundesliga defeat of the season, recovering from two goals down to hold Leipzig to a draw at the Red Bull Arena.

Bayern visited the Red Bull Arena having scored 10 times in their last three matches here - a tally they should’ve added to inside three minutes of this clash. An incisive through ball from Harry Kane released Jamal Musiala beyond the defence, but the youngster was unusually rushed in his effort, and was denied an opener by Janis Blaswich.

No goal from Boniface - no problem! Leverkusen stomp Mainz to reach the top

That was as good as it would get for Bayern in a chastening first half, as Leipzig raced into a two-goal lead. Moments after Emil Forsberg nearly scored from the halfway line, the visitors’ backline was carved open by a Xaver Schlager pass that set the rapid Loïs Openda away, and the Belgian’s effort was deflected in by the unfortunate Kim Min-jae. It took less than six minutes for Leipzig to double their lead thanks to a blunder from Sven Ulreich. The Bayern goalkeeper flapped at a corner and made no contact with the ball, which after hitting Openda at the back post, was steered home by Castello Lukeba to score for the first time in the Bundesliga.

Thomas Tuchel cut a frustrated figure on the touchline for large periods of the first half, but it was Rose who was left exasperated in the early stages of the second half. Benjamin Henrichs was the culprit, as he turned his back on a Leroy Sané free-kick but left his elbow high to block it, ultimately conceding a penalty. The lethal Kane was never likely to miss from 12 yards, and from nowhere, Bayern had halved the deficit.

Now protecting a lead, the one thing Leipzig couldn’t afford was to be caught on the counter, yet that’s exactly the fate they suffered as Bayern equalised. Musiala fed the electric Sané, who was far too quick for the hosts’ defence and slotted past Blaswich with aplomb to set up a grandstand finish at the RB Arena.

Caginess that’s often present in the early stages of these blockbuster clashes took hold in the dying embers here, with both sides all too aware of the threat the other carries. Consequently, Leipzig’s unbeaten head-to-head run extends to four for the first time in their history, while Bayern have fallen two points behind early-season pacesetters Bayer Leverkusen.

BUNDESLIGA - MATCHDAY 6

Friday

Hoffenheim - Dortmund 1-3 (1-2)

/Kramaric 25 pen - Fullkrug 18, Reus 45+3, Ryerson 90+5/

Saturday

Koln - Stuttgart 0-2 (0-0)

/Undav 68, 88/

Bochum - M'gladbach 1-3 (0-3)

/Losilla 68 - Neuhaus 27, Plea 37, 45+3/

Heidenheim - Union Berlin 1-0 (0-0)

/Beste 59/

Mainz - Leverkusen 0-3 (0-1)

/Van den Berg 18 og, Grimaldo 59, Hoffman 65/

Wolfsburg - Eintr. Frankfurt 2-0 (1-0)

/Wind 31, 85 pen/

RB Leipzig - Bayern 2-2 (2-0)

/Openda 20, Lukeba 26 - Kane 57, Sane 70/

Sunday

16:30: (2.90) Darmstadt (3.45) Werder (2.40)

18:30: (1.75) Freiburg (3.70) Augsburg (5.40)

***odds are subject to change***