Schweinsteiger saves Bayern from potential season crisis
Following their victorious but weak opener against Germania Windeck, Bayern Munich has managed to win another match against Wolfsburg. This time it was for Bundesliga; at it seems like Bayern is bent on keeping its title this season. It was a 1-1 tie for Bayern Munich and Wolfsburg until midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger saved the day at stoppage time, with the help of Frank Ribbery’s long range kick from the side. That could have been Coach Steve McClaren’s first point of his Wolfsburg Career.
Fromt the start of the game, Bayern showed Wolfsburg and the crowd who the boss was. In just nine minutes, Thomas Mueller gave his side the lead. Toni Kroos managed to flawlessly pass the ball to Mueller, who was then sandwiched between defenders Andrea Barzagli and Simon Kjaer.The young World Cup Golden Boot winner got past goalkeeper Diego Benaglio and made the first goal of the match with a low volley.
The first half was clearly Bayern’s game. Mueller and Kroos gave an impressive play; Klose was in perfect form. There were solid attempts from him; but the first one was thwarted by Kjaer and the second one was blocked by Benaglio. Wolfsburg really had to be on guard because the Bayern stars were on fire. Wolfsburg looked helpless against Bayern and most of their efforts were futile. The only substantial effort from the former was a free kick by midfielder Karim Ziani but it was unsuccessful as Hans-Jörg Butt caught the ball without exerting too much effort.
Half-time allowed McClaren to motivate his team because things took a turn at the start of the second half as Wolfsburg almost levelled. Mario Manduzic had a good chance of swinging a goal because Philip Lahm gave him too much space in the penalty area. He was aiming in the right direction but unfortunately, the ball hit the post. Riberry tried to raise their chances by swinging in a thunder shot but Benaglio was on his toes and saved the ball quickly. Manduzic’s team mate Edin Dzeko made two close but unsuccessful attempts after. His efforts were rewarded when he took advantage of Ziani’s cross with a header. It went right in the Bayern net, leaving Butt and the rest of the Bayern defence stunned.
The rest of the second half was mostly about Bayern trying to regain its control and Wolfsburg gaining momentum. Dzeko took advantage of the adrenaline brought about by his goal but his efforts were thwarted by Butt. Zvjezdan Misimovic, who substituted for Peter Pekarik, attempted to score but he was stopped by Bayern’s Holger Badstuber.
The exciting match was about to leave mouths watering with a 1-1 tie but the referee made a good decision of adding stoppage time. Louis van Gaal’s boys once again showed that they can step up to the plate when it matters most. Bayern’s late hero Schweinsteiger simply poked the ball inside the Wolfsburg net, thanks to Ribbery’s cross from afar. It was the best way to end the match for Bayern fans.
Wolfsburg’s loss to Schweinsteiger’s last-minute goal left McClaren and his boys utterly disappointed. "That was the worst possible way to lose and of course for us it is a big disappointment. We came back in the second-half by putting a lot of passion into the game. In the first-half we gave them too much respect. It's a good lesson for us, but a painful one,” the coach explained in the club’s official website.
For Wolfsburg’s only hero, it was a difficult pill to swallow as well: "It leaves us bitter, to take a blow like that in the 91st minute. In the first-half we were too passive and not aggressive enough, but in the second we performed offensively and created opportunities,” added the high-priced Dzeko.
Despite the loss and the mediocre defense, Wolfsburg deserves a pat on the back for a steady comeback in the second half. Moreover, their centre-backs Simon Kjaer and Andrea Barzagli has proven their mental toughness that will be required in their quest for the title.
Meanwhile, the Bayern boys are rejoicing over their victory but their first scorer admits that luck had a lot to do with their victory. "We worked for this victory, in the end perhaps it was a little lucky, as we dipped in the second 45 minutes. In the first 15 minutes of the second-half we gave away the ball too much. I think the players were a bit cocky coming out of the dressing room,” said Mueller.
Bayern was indeed nearing a step towards a horrible season start. Their 4-0 victory over Windeck may look nice on paper but they struggled to penetrate their opponent’s defence. In fact, Van Gaal labelled the game as the “worst performance this season.” Based on this match, Die Wolfe really had big chances of claiming victory in the second half of the match. If Bayern wants to keep the coveted Bundesliga price, they better stay on their toes.
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