Manuel Veth - Augsburg v Bayern kicked off heavily favouring the Rekordmeister. Augsburg were struggling with injuries, and Bayern could narrow the g
Manuel Veth –
Augsburg v Bayern kicked off heavily favouring the Rekordmeister. Augsburg were struggling with injuries, and Bayern could narrow the gap to Dortmund, who are playing on Monday to just two points, and the Rekordmeister did just that although with some significant problems against a limited Augsburg side.
- Leon Goretzka with a record own goal
- Bayern come from behind twice
- Kingsley Coman injury worry
Augsburg v Bayern
Goals: 1-0 (Leon Goretzka, 1’ O.G.), 1-1 (Kingsley Coman, 17’), 2-1 (Dong-Won Ji, 24′), 2-2 (Kingsley Coman, 45′), 2-3 (David Alaba, 53′)
Unbelievable but true Augsburg would score straight from the kickoff. Philipp Max broke into the box on the left-wing and played a dangerous ball into the centre of the box where Leon Goretzka deflected the ball into the box. The whole thing just took 15 seconds and was among the three fastest own goals scored in Bundesliga history.
Bayern, however, quickly reacted with Kingsley Coman breaking forward and playing a dangerous cross into the box where Serge Gnabry was wide open. But to the surprise of everyone, he missed the net.
Coman, however, would soon get the opportunity to do better. In the 17′ minute, Joshua Kimmich played a ball in from the right, and Coman escaped his defender and beat Augsburg keeper with a low dropkick.
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Amazingly, Augsburg were not shocked at all and kept pressing forward with some success too. In the 23′ minute Max once again exposed Kimmich on the right played a low ball into the centre where everyone but Dong-Won Ji missed the ball, the Korean collected the ball and then hammered the ball past keeper Manuel Neuer.
The Rekordmeister had chances to equalise. Leon Goretzka tested Gregor Kobel with a shot from a distance in the 25 and Mats Hummels hit the crossbar after a corner kick in the 35′ minute. Just before halftime, Bayern equalised again. Coman was left wide open at the edge of the box and hit the ball between Kobel’s legs with a weak shot from 16 yards.
It was a deserved result going into halftime given Bayern’s chances before the break. But to concede just before the break can be a neck breaker and it did not take Bayern long to make it 2-3.
This time David Alaba was the scorer. A cross from the right was picked off before Robert Lewandowski could get there, but the ball dropped to David Alaba on the left, and the wing-back beat Kobel with a low drive from a tight angle.
From there it seemed only a question of time until the floodgates would open. Lewandowski, 60′ minute Thomas Müller in the 61′ minute and Leon Goretzka 66′ minute, should have doubled the lead. Coman then had the biggest chance in the 70′ minute but saw his header, following a Joshua Kimmich corner, tipped over the bar by Kobel.
And Augsburg? Somehow the Fuggerstädter managed to hang on. In fact, they slowly but surely managed to push the game back into Bayern’s half forcing the Rekordmeister into killing time, something that has not been seen since the pre-Guardiola era. In the end, it was enough for Bayern, but the champions lost Coman to an injury that forced the Frenchman to limp into the dressing room early.
Augsburg v Bayern – Man of the Match
Kingsley Coman was the tragic hero. The Frenchman scored two goals and also was Bayern’s most dangerous player going forward. But in the 90′ minute the winger picked up an injury that will put him in doubt for the Liverpool fixture that will take place at Anfield on Tuesday.
Augsburg v Bayern – Bayern Munich’s French defender Kingsley Coman reacts during the German first division Bundesliga match between FC Augsburg and FC Bayern Munich in Augsburg, southern Germany, on February 15, 2019. (Photo by Christof STACHE / AFP)
Augsburg v Bayern – Talking Point
Once again Bayern’s defence leaked goals. Niko Kovač struggles to find a formation that can cope with high pressing teams. Augsburg, althouinjury-ravagedged, did well to take this game to Bayern and with a more experienced defence would have likely collected all three points here.
Augsburg v Bayern – Match Stats
- It was the first time Augsburg have scored twice against Bayern in the Bundesliga and the most goals since a 3-1 win over Bayern in the Oberliga Süd on August 6, 1961.
- Kingsley Coman has scored his second brace in the Bundesliga, almost two years after scoring twice against Hamburg in February 2017.
- Leon Goretzka’s own goal was the third in the first minute in Bundesliga history (last time it happened was in August 1979).
Augsburg v Bayern – Line-ups
Augsburg:
Formation: 4-1-3-2
Kobel – Stafylidis (Richter, 69′), Danso, Oxford – Max, Khedira, Moravek (Koo, 77′), Schmid – Ji – Cordova, Gregoritsch
Coach: Manuel Baum
Bayern München:
Formation: 4-1-4-1
Neuer – Alaba, Hummels, Süle, Kimmich – James (T. Müller, 56′), Thiago (Javi Martínez, 80′), Goretzka – Coman, Lewandowski, Gnabry (Ribéry, 64′)
Coach: Niko Kovač
Manuel Veth is the owner and Editor in Chief of the Futbolgrad Network. He also works as a freelance journalist and among others contributes to Forbes.com and Pro Soccer USA. He holds a Doctorate of Philosophy in History from King’s College London, and his thesis is titled: “Selling the People’s Game: Football’s transition from Communism to Capitalism in the Soviet Union and its Successor States,” which is available HERE. Originally from Munich, Manuel has lived in Amsterdam, Kyiv, Moscow, Tbilisi, London, and currently is located in Victoria BC, Canada. Follow Manuel on Twitter @ManuelVeth.
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