Bayern Munich 1-1 Union Berlin: 5 talking points as Bavarians fail to secure victory | Bundesliga 2020-21
Bayern Munich dropped two important points against Union Berlin in an intriguing Bundesliga encounter. The result keeps Bayern Munich in 1st place on the table with 67 points, but only 5 points clear of RB Leipzig who sit 2nd.
A dull first half left Hansi Flick and Co. scratching their heads as Union Berlin managed to frustrate Bayern's front four. Despite managing to have 7 attempts, the Bavarians had zero shots on target as Andreas Luthe had a comfortable outing at the Allianz Arena in the first exchanges.
But the men in red changed gears in the second half and in the 68th minute18-year-old wonderkid Jamal Musiala made the breakthrough for the home side. He got on the end of Thomas Muller's pass, dribbled his way past two white shirts and struck it home, dispatching the ball past Luthe with ease.
Flick's men were in control of possession throughout the game, and with a goal in hand, they were close to seeing out the game. However, substitute Marcus Ingvartsen had different plans. The 25-year-old made a darting run into the box as Robert Andrich found him with a cut back from the byline. The duo combined to score in the 86th minute of the game, killing Bayern's hopes of making it 6 league wins in a row.
On that note, let's take a look at the 5 talking points from the game.
#5 Injuries have come at the worst time for Bayern Munich
As we enter the business end of the season, coaching staff and players would look to keep their squad's fitness levels up and rotate effectively as every game till the end of the season matters. But it has gone all downhill for Hansi Flick's men.
The home side were without 7 of their first XI players, as Flick's aspirations of defending their Bundesliga and Champions League title suffered from perdonnel issues. In just 2 days, they will have to travel to Paris to take on PSG in the second leg, and it looks more and more likely that Bayern Munich would have to play the return leg with a half-fit squad.
Players like Robert Lewandowski, Alphonso Davies, Serge Gnabry and more are likely to be sidelined for a few weeks, and to add to their woes, Joshua Kimmich played the whole 90 minutes tonight vs Berlin. Is that a decision that would eventually backfire? We'll find out soon.
#4 Jamal Musiala steps up to the occasion again
There's something special about Jamal Musiala. The 18-year-old started the game as a right winger to accommodate Tiago Dantas. It was another day of sublime touches for the young man as he was Bayern's biggest threat throughout the game.
It was through his brilliance that put Bayern ahead, as experienced players like Leroy Sane, Thomas Muller and Choupo-Moting couldn't break the deadlock. Bayern's golden boy scored a signature goal as he danced through white jerseys to find the net.
Hansi Flick has a decision to make. Kingsley Coman and Sane were up against PSG's second-choice fullbacks in the first leg, and they could not impact the game at all. With 4 goals under Musiala's belt, is it time for Flick to start his golden boy in the biggest game of the season?