Joker Petersen hits directly: Bayern just escaped one-ball contact frustration

Sunday 17th January 2021

Update
Joker Petersen hits directly
Bayern just escaped frustration with one-ball contact

FC Bayern Munich can capitalize on the mistakes of the competition: The record champions beat a hard-fought SC Freiburg with an extremely narrow margin. Nils Petersen only needs one ball contact to frustrate Bayern. But then Thomas Müller does Müller things again.

FC Bayern silenced the talk of the crisis and secured the first round championship in the Bundesliga ahead of schedule. The defending champion fought hard 2-1 (1-0) against the formidable SC Freiburg after the two sensitive defeats with the cup disgrace in Kiel. The record champions were still a long way from their old dominance and class.

World footballer Robert Lewandowski (6th) brought the favorite in Munich's Schneegriesel into the lead with his 21st goal of the season – a first round record in the Bundesliga. After the equalizer from Joker Nils Petersen, who scored seconds after being substituted on with his first ball contact (62nd), Thomas Müller struck back (74th). However, Bayern international lost Serge Gnabry, who had to be replaced due to a thigh injury (28th). Freiburg, which recently celebrated five wins in a row, complained about two injuries in Baptiste Santamaria and Amir Abrashi.

"Very important because of the other results"

"It was a work victory. We can improve the style of play. It is clear that not everything will go by itself. In the end we shook," said Jérôme Boateng at Sky. With the success after the defeat in Mönchengladbach and the cup embarrassment at the second division Kiel, Bayern expanded their lead over RB Leipzig to four points. "We had many chances to score. In the end we deservedly got the three points that were very important because of the other results," said Leon Goretzka.

Six new players in the starting line-up for the recovered Kingsley Coman and Leon Goretzka – Bayern played "with the cream of the crop", as SC coach Christian Streich admired. And his colleague Hansi Flick emphasized again on Sky after the "brutal wake-up call" from Kiel: "There is no longer any excuse!" Freiburg will show "whether we are a top team". The pressing style demanded by CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge from the triple season was at least partially recognizable. Despite being overweight, Bayern lacked a lot of the form that had brought them trophies in series.

Petersen slams the ball against the crossbar

Freiburg countered it with courage, determination and a dash of aggressiveness. Streich had to rebuild his Cologne team (5-0) after a few minutes because Santamaria could not continue due to problems with his right knee. Shortly afterwards, Freiburg was lucky when the video assistant refused Bayern a possible penalty after Manuel Gulde's handball (5th). 36 seconds later and after a quick attack from Munich via Gnabry and Müller, it was still 1-0.

Petersen headed 1: 1.

(Photo: Peter Schatz / Pool via EIBNER / S)

Freiburg was by no means discouraged and Bayern ran again and again. Roland Sallai (17th) missed the greatest chance to equalize. Gnabry (25th) after a fine solo and the substitute for him Leroy Sané (30th) could have increased. In Abrashi (left calf), who had replaced Santamaria, the guests lost the next player at the beginning of the second half (54th). Bayern increased the pressure. Lewandowski failed on the crossbar, the margin from Goretzka parried SC keeper Florian Müller (59.).

But Petersen caught the record champions cold with his head after a corner. It was Freiburg's 14th (!) Standard goal. After preliminary work by Sané, Müller met in the well-known Müller manner from the start, Lewandowski had the 3-1 on the foot (79th), Sané also forgave (89th). On the other hand, Petersen hit the bar (90th + 1).