SC Freiburg v Bayern Munich 1-2
Resolute Munich prevail in game of two halves
Battling Bayern were rewarded for a much-improved second-half display away to Freiburg on Saturday when Franck Ribery netted a potentially priceless 88th-minute winner, settling a match in which the sides each spent 45 minutes in the driving seat.
The 24,000 sell-out crowd at the Badenova Stadion saw an explosive start to the contest, Mario Gomez handing the visitors an early lead with his 19th league goal of the campaign, and Thomas Kraft saving Papiss Demba Cissé’s penalty in the first quarter of an hour. But Sengal hitman Cissé scored his 18th of term to level straight afterwards, and the home side remained on top through to half-time.
The men from Munich significantly upped the tempo after the restart and penned Freiburg back in their own half for long periods, but just as it seemed the ball would not cross the line, Ribery produced a moment of magic to seal a crucial victory.
The late winner, even more important in the light of third-placed Hannover’s 2-0 win at home to Hoffenheim, means the champions remain fourth on 48 points from 27 matches, two points off Hannover and four behind second-placed Leverkusen, who play on Sunday. The Bundesliga now takes a two-week break for international matches, with the Bavarians next in action at home to bottom club Borussia Mönchengladbach on Saturday 2 April.
Louis van Gaal reverted to the line-up which romped to a 6-0 victory over Hamburg last weekend, entailing one change to the side beaten so unluckily by Inter in midweek. Breno dropped out of the side due to suspension, with Luiz Gustavo back at centre-half alongside Daniel van Buyten, and Toni Kroos coming into defensive midfield as Bastian Schweinsteiger’s partner. Arjen Robben passed a fitness test on Friday and took his place in the forward line along with Ribery, Thomas Müller and Gomez.
Once referee Peter Gagelmann whistled the match underway, FCB keeper Kraft was called into action early on, saving an Oliver Barth header and racing from goal to clear at the feet of SCF top scorer Cissé. But the first goal went to the champions, Gomez applying a deft flicked header to Ribery’s whipped free-kick just nine minutes into the match.
The action-packed opening continued when Kraft brought down Cisse in the box, although the keeper was left horribly exposed by his centre-backs and immediately redeemed himself with a comfortable save from the striker’s poorly-struck spot-kick. The reprieve was only brief, as Felix Bastians headed into the Bayern box, where Cissé stole in behind Gustavo and blasted home the 17th-minute equaliser from eight yards.
Kraft smothered a Cissé toe-poke and Cedrick Makiadi’s free-kick was deflected narrowly wide, before Hamit Altintop replaced the patently struggling Robben on the half-hour. There was another escape for the visitors when Daniel Caligiuri’s swerving cross-shot rattled the far stick, the rebound travelling too fast for Makiadi to guide the ball over the line. Altintop did his best to up Bayern’s attacking threat with a couple of energetic thrusts, but the home defence coped easily enough and the half ended with the score 1-1.
After what were doubtless some choice words from Van Gaal during the break, FCB were a different proposition at the start of the second period, Gomez coming within inches of connecting with Lahm’s centre and then inadvertently blocking Kroos’ goalbound shot.
Makiadi hit the side-netting and Barth sent a drop kick into the crowd as Freiburg fought to break the stranglehold, but most of the action was at the other end as Gomez and Altintop were both crowded out within sight of goal.
Kraft had to get down smartly to an unlucky rebound off Danijel Pranjic, before Miro Klose replaced Müller for the last 20 minutes. SCF keeper Oliver Baumann spread himself to deny Altintop after the Turkey midfielder expertly made space in the box, before Kroos made way for Anatoliy Tymoshchuk quarter of an hour from time.
Klose steered a header wide of the target and then saw his shot hacked off the line by Ömer Toprak after an almighty scramble in front of Baumann, but just as a draw looked inevitable, Ribery seized possession on the right edge of the box and cracked a glorious low drive across Baumann and in at the far corner to seal three utterly vital points.
Live match report for fcbayern.de by Chris Hamley
MATCH STATS
SC Freiburg - Bayern Munich 1-2 (H-T: 1-1)
SC Freiburg: Baumann - Mujdza, Toprak, Barth, Bastians - Schuster – Caligiuri (Butscher 86), Flum (Reisinger 78), Makiadi, Putsila (Yano 89) – Cissé
Substitutes: Salz, Krmas, Jäger, Nicu
Bayern Munich: Kraft - Lahm, van Buyten, Luiz Gustavo, Pranjic - Schweinsteiger, Kroos (Tymoshchuk 78) – Robben (Hamit Altintop 30), Müller (Klose 71), Ribery - Gomez
Substitutes: Butt, Badstuber, Contento, Ottl
Referee: Peter Gagelmann (Bremen)
Spectators: 24,000 (capacity)
Goals: 0-1 Gomez (9), 1-1 Cisse (17), 1-2 Ribery (88)
Yellow Cards: Schuster, Reisinger / Ribery
Credit: FC Bayern Munich (www.fcbayern.t-com.de)
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