Bayern ripe for Haaland style of play
top-flight history to score 17 goals in a single campaign. It’s made him a wanted man – but his rise to the top was almost derailed by growing pains.
He said: “I had a lot of knee problems and a lot of back problems when I was younger because I was growing at Under-15 and 16 level. I didn’t play that many games then, either.
“So could I have thrown it all away? No way! I loved football too much for that.” Bundesliga expert Owen Hargreaves drools over Havertz, calling him a hybrid of midfield magician Mesut Ozil and driving force Michael Ballack. And
Leverkusen team-mate Lars Bender says he’s destined for greatness with no stage too big for the playmaker.
“It’s an absolute blessing to have such a player in the side. Back when he was 17, I’d never seen a player that was so far on as Kai. He’s just a top guy from head to toe,” the Leverkusen skipper explained.
“He’s extremely grounded, close to his family, and really appreciates what he’s got. I don’t know how I would have dealt with the hype when I was his age. I have so much respect for that.”
BAYERN MUNICH will travel to Dortmund on Tuesday with their four-point lead over Borussia still intact.
But Erling Haaland and Co will relish their chance to reduce the deficit at the top after Frankfurt exposed Bayern’s defensive deficiencies.
Hans-dieter Flick’s side looked like they were about to open the floodgates on Frankfurt when they made it 3-0 just 35 seconds into the second half.
Leon Goretzka had given them the lead with a thudding first-time finish after Ivan Perisic’s lovely dummy helped free Thomas Muller to cross from the left. Muller then
Blessing
doubled Bayern’s lead five minutes before the break with a neat finish of his own after good work from Alphonso Davies.
And little more than half a minute into the second half, Kinglsey Coman’s cross picked out Robert Lewandowski seven yards out and he headed home.
But out of nowhere, two dreadful pieces of defending led to two goals for Martin Hinteregger — both of them headers from corners, with Bayern’s zonal marking ripe for the picking.
Hinteregger headed the ball up in the air and was the only man to react for his first.
And he then had a free run to head past Manuel Neuer for his second.
For a brief moment, Bayern looked ruffled and Frankfurt wondered if a comeback was on the cards.
But on the hour, Bayern’s impressive leftback Davies burst forward, lost the ball to Gelson Fernandes but got it back with good fortune, and turned it home.
Neuer made a good save to deny Mijat Gacinovic as Frankfurt tried to come again but when substitute Serge Gnabry, the former Arsenal player, flicked the ball past keeper Kevin Trapp, Hinteregger got his feet in a tangle to score a comedy own-goal.