Borussia Monchengladbach vs Bayern Munich: 5 talking points as reigning champions settle for a draw in season opener | Bundesliga 2021-22
Bayern Munich kicked off their 2021-22 Bundesliga campaign with a hard-fought draw against Borussia Monchengladbach. The hosts took an early lead via Alassane Plea in the 10th minute. The French striker finished off a swift attacking move to shock the reigning champions.
Bayern started to find their feet as the game progressed but Yann Sommer's quick reactions denied them the chance to find the equalizer. Robert Lewandowski finally found a way past the Swiss goalkeeper in the 42nd minute with a well-taken volley from a direct corner.
With parity being restored right before the first half, we were in for an entertaining second half. Though neither club could score the decisive goal, both sides had a couple of good goalscoring chances.
Bayern Munich are still winless under new manager Julian Nagelsmann, but with this being their first game of the season, they were expected to be a bit rusty. The defense did not look solid and the attackers lacked sharpness in front of goal.
With the two sides sharing the spoils in the opening fixture of the season, here, we take a look at the five talking points from the game.
#5 Robert Lewandowski back to business with a goal in the first game of the season
Robert Lewandowski only needed 42 minutes to open his account for the 2021-22 campaign. He scored 41 goals last season and was the biggest threat for the Bavarians in this game as well. He connected wonderfully with Joshua Kimmich's corner to beat Yann Sommer from close range.
Lewandowski was responsible for more than half of Bayern Munich's shots on target in the game. With this goal, he has now scored in the opening fixture of the last seven campaigns, a record which is unparalleled in the Bundesliga.
#4 Bayern Munich's defense does not look solid at the moment
Bayern Munich went a goal behind within 10 minutes and their defensive frailties were there for all to see. The defenders were often caught out of position and did not look comfortable in possession of the ball.
Dayot Upamecano had a disappointing outing on his debut for Bayern Munich and almost conceded a late penalty with a late challenge on Marcus Thuram. The only positive takeaway from the defensive third was the energetic performance of Alphonso Davies, who ran the show after the break.
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