Bundesliga: COVID-hit Bayern Munich humbled at home by Borussia Moenchengladbach
Bayern Munich were forced to name a makeshift team after nine stars tested positive for the coronavirus.
COVID-hit Bayern Munich crashed into a 2-1 defeat at home to Borussia Moenchengladbach on Friday, forcing Bundesliga leaders to name a provisional squad after nine stars tested positive for the coronavirus.
Robert Lewandowski cracked his 20th league goal this season to give Bayern an early lead, but Gladbach bounced back with two goals in four first half runs by Florian Neuhaus and Stefan Lenner.
"Gladbach is not our favorite opponent," said striker Thomas Müller, as Bayern lost 5-0 to Gladbach in the German Cup last October.
"Losing is bitter, but we have to bear defeat."
Muller refused to blame his empty squad for the defeat.
"We had a lot of quality on the pitch and we shouldn't have given that much possession in the last third of the pitch," he said.
"The worst part is that we didn't miss our chances," Mueller admitted. When he came close to equalizing the second half twice.
Despite the loss behind closed doors in Munich, Bayern are nine points clear of the top of the table but second-placed Borussia Dortmund could close the gap at Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday.
Gladbach has climbed three places to 11th position, but is still only five points from the bottom three places.
With many of his stars sidelined by COVID, Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann named a patched-up squad with six reserve team players on the bench, while 19-year-old Malik Tillman begins his first Bundesliga match.
He was replaced in the second half by Paul Waner, who at the age of 16 years and 15 days became the youngest Bayern player to make his German league debut, having been called up from the club's under-19 team.
Germany star Joshua Kimmich, who had missed the last two months with COVID, played at right-back with Marcel Sabitzer, another defensive midfielder named on the left side of the defence.
Gladbach was also missing American defender Joe Scali and Swiss midfielder Dennis Zakaria, who both tested positive for COVID-19.
Bayern took a deserved lead in chilly conditions when Lewandowski fired an unassailable shot inside goalkeeper Yann Sommer with 18 minutes to go.
Gladbach equalized when the visitors removed the Bayern defense and transferred the ball to Neuhaus, who fired Bayern stand-in goalkeeper Sven Ulrich.
First-choice keeper Manuel Neuer is in quarantine in the Maldives after testing positive for COVID-19 while on vacation.
Ulrich was again beaten from a corner when Lanner flicked a header with half an hour of play.
Neuhaus and Swiss striker Briel Ambolo missed opportunities to extend Gladbach's lead, while Lewandowski at the other end cut the post with a brilliant shot across the goal.
Bayern dominated long into the second half with Jamal Musiala, Mueller and Kimmich as Lewandowski again did the woodwork but Gladbach held off.
