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Bayern Munich held to draw by Freiburg

November 3, 2018

Bayern Munich will go into next week's game away at Borussia Dortmund four points behind the Black and Yellows after Nicolas Höler's 89th-minute equalizer for Freiburg held them to a draw on Matchday 10.

Bundesliga Matchday 10 | FC Bayern Munich vs. SC Freiburg |  1:1
Image: Reuters/A. Gebert

A slow, ponderous Bayern struggled to make headway for long periods against a stubborn, disciplined and well-organized Freiburg defense, but a moment of individual brilliance from Serge Gnabry looked to have won them all three points ten minutes from time. 

With Bayern's passing combinations having little effect, the 23-year-old took matters into his own hands, driving into the box from a central-right position and putting a low shot past Alexander Schwolow at his near post. 

It was the first piece of real imagination and penetration that Bayern had shown all afternoon, and it looked like it would make it five wins from five in all competitions for Niko Kovac's men. 

But Freiburg, who had never come away from the Allianz Arena with as much as a point, had other ideas. Christian Günter made progress down the right and delivered an inch-perfect cross for Höler to slide in and tap home, sparking delirium among the 5,000 traveling Freiburg fans.

"Stay calm! Stay calm!" Christian Streich screamed to his players, who held on for an historic point. 

Image: Reuters/A. Gebert

As it happened:

+++ FULL-TIME: Bayern Munich 1-1 SC Freiburg +++
(Gnabry 80' - Höler 80')

90+5' Rafinha's shot from the edge of the box bounces through a crowd of players and wide. Relief for Freiburg; that could have gone anywhere. 

90+3' Waldschmidt goes down outside the Bayern box looking for a free-kick but the referee waves play on.

90' Five minutes have been added on

89' GOAL! Bayern 1-1 Freiburg (Höler)
"Stay calm! Stay calm!" Christian Streich screams to his players - but that's going to be difficult because Nicolas Höler has equalized for Freiburg, sliding in to tap home Günter's low cross. After such a solid defensive performance for 80 minutes, it's hard to begrudge Freiburg that. Now can they hold on for a first ever point away at at Bayern Munich?

Image: Reuters/A. Gebert

85' Ribery curls over the bar from the edge of the box.

80' GOAL! Bayern 1-0 Freiburg (Gnabry)
Gnabry, the most dangerous Bayern player this afternoon, takes it upon himself to drive into the box from the right hand side before firing a powerful right-footed effort past Schwolow at his near post. 

79' Rafinha sees yellow for an unnecessarily dangerous two-footed challenge on Haberer. Perhaps lucky not to have seen red for that; both sets of studs were showing. 

77' Kimmich cuts a short free-kick back to Gnabry but the former Hoffenheim and Arsenal man shoots into the side netting. 

73' Crossbar! Schwolow tips Lewandowski's header onto the bar! Bayern are getting closer ... 

Image: Reuters/A. Gebert

71' Substitution for Bayern: Thomas Müller replaces James Rodriguez 

71' Ribery goes to ground in the box under a challenge from Stenzel but there are no claims for a penalty. 

70' Twenty minutes remaining here. Bayern certainly have the quality to find a winner but they haven't shown much of it yet. 

66' Lewandowski hits a free-kick into the wall. And the rebound. 

65' Ribery's penetrative run into the box causes a chaotic scramble but Freiburg clear. 

64' Sanches shoots low and wide from distance. Bayern are simply not causing Freiburg enough problems. 

62' Gnabry injects some pace into proceedings with a quick step-over down the left but Höfler comes across to cut out the danger. 

61' After a spell of Bayern possession on the edge of the box, a Gnabry cross sails harmlessly into Schwolow's hands. 

59' And finally, two minutes later, the referee decides: No penalty. Chants of "You're destroying our sport" and "**** the DFB" echo back and forth across the Allianz Arena. 

Image: Reuters/A. Gebert

57' James swivels and shoots but his shot only finds the sind netting ... meanwhile, the VAR is inspecting a suspecting handball by Gulde ... 

54' Goal disallowed! Tim Kleindienst heads home for Freiburg but the linesman correctly spots that he was just offside - and Bayern survive. 

49' Günter shoots but his shot is deflected wide for a Freiburg corner, which is easily cleared. 

47' James with the first shot of the second half for Bayern, but he doesn't get a clean contact on Alaba's cross and Schwolow has no problem. 

+++ Second half +++
We're back underway! Can Bayern find a way through in the second 45 minutes?

Image: Reuters/A. Gebert

+++ HALF-TIME: Bayern Munich 0-0 SC Freiburg +++
And Freiburg do hold on! It's goalless at the break. 

45' Approaching half-time and Freiburg remain disciplined at the back and difficult to break down. They've offered little offensively but they'll be more than happy to into the break at 0-0. 

39' Penalty to Bayern? Gnabry plays a one-two with Lewandowski and continues his run into the box where he goes down under pressure from Frantz. But referee Felix Zwayer waves play on. 

34' Great save! Robben fires at goal with an acrobatic volley, but Schwolow parries the ball well clear. 

32' Alaba sends a shot into the top tier from the edge of the box. It's still rising ... 

26' Lewandowski is clean through but hesitates in the box, under pressure from Höfler. He has a chance to get a shot away with his left but then opts to try and shoot with his right, but Scholow blocks with his feet from close range. Bug chance for the Pole. 

Image: Reuters/A. Gebert

20' After a missplaced pass from Boateng, Freiburg counter but the ball up to Höler lacks precision. Those first ten minutes seem like a long time ago now. Freiburg have managed to get a slight grip on proceedings.

19' Freiburg good period continues, as Rafinha blocks Günter's attempted cross from the left. 

17' Freiburg finally get out of their own half and put together an attack of their own, which ends in Stenzel firing high over the bar. 

15' James sees an effort deflected wide off Gulde

13' Bayern have enjoyed over 80% possession in these opening stages. Freiburg sitting deep with a back-five. 

10' Alaba crosses dangerously across goal but the defender beats Lewandowski to the ball in the six-yard-box.

5' As expected, Bayern have started on the front foot. 

+++ KICK-OFF! +++
We're underway in the Allianz Arena!

Lewandowski's favorite opponents? 

The Polish striker has a scary record against Freiburg. Will he add to his tally today? 

Freiburg team news

Sportclub coach Christian Streich makes three changes to the team which was knocked out of the cup away at Holstein Kiel on Wednesday, Manuel Gulde, Lucas Höler and Tim Kleindienst replacing Philipp Lienhart (bench), Luca Waldschmidt (on the bench after picking up a knock) und Nils Petersen (not in the squad after suffering a muscle injury).

Bayern Munich team news

Niko Kovac makes six changes from the heavily rotated team which scraped past fourth-tier SV Rödinghausen in the cup on Tuesday, with Javi Martinez, Thiago Alcantara, Leon Goretzka, Thomas Müller, Sandro Wagner and Franck Ribery all making way for Jerome Boateng, Joshua Kimmich, James Rodriguez, Arjen Robben, Robert Lewandowski und Serge Gnabry.

For the first time under Kovac, Kimmich starts as a defensive midfielder - a role he has already played for the national team. 

David Alaba and Manuel Neuer are both making their 200th Bundesliga appearances. 

+++ Guten Tag! Welcome to DW's live coverage of Bayern Munich vs. SC Freiburg on Bundesliga Matchday 10 +++
If the latest revelations from Football Leaks are to be believed, Bayern Munich shouldn't even have to bother with home games against the likes of Freiburg. But until the alleged European Super League comes to fruition and the mighty Bavarians can play Real Madrid every week, they'll just have to make do. 

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