Bayern held ahead of vital clash in Paris
MUNICH: Depleted Bayern Munich were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Union Berlin in the Bundesliga on Saturday, three days before their Champions League return leg at Paris Saint-Germain.
Teenager Jamal Musiala beat three defenders to give Bayern the lead midway through the second half at the Allianz Arena only for Marcus Ingvartsen to equalise for Union four minutes from time.
“That is very annoying,” Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer told Sky. “We played well over long stretches and would have deserved the victory.”
In Paris tomorrow, European champions Bayern need to overturn a 3-2 first-leg defeat in the quarterfinals and started reserve team players Tiago Dantas, on a season-long loan from Benfica, and Josip Stanisic against Union.
The club world champions have nine players sidelined, including injured topscorer Robert Lewandowski and winger Serge Gnabry, who was quarantined after testing positive for Covid-19.
Musiala showed great footwork to pick his way through the Union defence for the opening goal, only for Ingvartsen to beat Stanisic to the ball and grab the visitors’ late equaliser.
The draw trims Bayern’s lead at the top of the Bundesliga table to five points ahead of second-placed RB Leipzig, who romped to a 4-1 win at Werder Bremen.
Leipzig dominated throughout and raced into a 3-0 lead as Dani Olmo gave them the lead before Alexander Sorloth netted twice.
Although Milot Rashica pulled a goal back for Bremen, Marcel Sabitzer made it 4-1 midway through the second half.
The sides meet again in Bremen on April 30 in the German Cup semi-finals.
Eintracht Frankfurt took another key step towards reaching the Champions League for the first time since 1960 with a thrilling 4-3 home win over Wolfsburg.
Daichi Kamada, Luka Jovic, Andre Silva and Erik Durm all netted for Frankfurt.
Third-placed Wolfsburg pulled goals back through Ridle Baku and Wout Weghorst before Frankfurt’s Brazilian defender Tuta turned the ball into his own net for an own goal five minutes from time.
The result leaves Frankfurt with a seven-point cushion in fourth after fifth-placed Borussia Dortmund, later earned a dramatic 3-2 win at Stuttgart.