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Reactions to Bayern’s loss (from FCBayern.com and AZ):
During the post match interview, Jupp Heynckes proclaimed that Leipzig deserved to win and added that Bayern did not perform well the way they did in the previous matches
We encountered an opponent that ran hard from the start, played a good pressing system. They did that really well last. I had warned about it. You have to say frankly that Leipzig deserved to win. And even in the first half they had a very good chance that Sven Ulreich saved really well. There will be games when you don’t play so dominantly.
As for his plans for the international break, Heynckes laconically said, “I’m traveling home now and taking a week off.”
Bayern’s goalkeeper, Sven Ulreich also had a lot to say about the things that went wrong for Bayern. He said that Bayern lacked control throughout the game while Leipzig pressed well and attacked with haste:
We lost the ball in the midfield very often, didn’t get the game under control. Leipzig then pressed really well and played the ball forward to their fast players. For a while we didn’t get the ball moving and play calmly. The we couldn’t settle into the game any more. They exploited all that with their fast players.
Timo Werner, who scored the winning goal, said that he didn’t expect himself to be subbed in so early. He had this to say:
I didn’t expect to come on so early, I had just gotten comfortable on the bench!
And on his substitution later in the match:
I sprinted for a minute and a half and then felt a tweak in my thigh. And the team needed someone who could go full throttle.
What an intense Match today, big fight but this time not the result we wanted. Now it's time for a short "break" and i am really looking forward to the games with the @DFB_Team
— Mats Hummels (@matshummels) March 18, 2018
A difficult opponent in a highly competitive match. We were not focused enough and were punished for it. We‘ll keep on workin‘ #da27
— David Alaba (@David_Alaba) March 18, 2018
Leipzig’s sporting director Ralf Rangnick expressed his happiness and said that Leipzig played with class and the players were strong physically:
At halftime we had a shots ration of 13 to one. What we could have done better: a few more goals! Otherwise, it was an outstanding performance by the entire team. The team played an enormously physical game today.
The match in review
Leipzig put an end to Bayern Munich’s unbeaten streak after 19 matches by defeating the Bavarians 2-1 at the Red Bull Arena. Jupp Heynckes made six changes to the starting XI that saw off Besiktas in the Champions League pre-quarter last week which included Sandro Wagner replacing Lewandowski, which was unanticipated.
Bayern took an early lead at the 12th minute by Sandro Wagner heading the ball into the net from James Rodriguez’s perfectly sublime cross. But Bayern then conceded an equalizer in the 37th minute when Leipzig’s Naby Keïta netted the ball without even giving the defenders a chance to save it. After several more chances, Timo Werner’s goal in the 56th minute gave the hosts the lead. Werner, who was rumored to have been Bayern’s transfer target, got past Niklas Sule with much ease; even a fully focused Sven Ulreich couldn’t stop that shot.
Notable numbers
Sunday evening’s match saw Thomas Muller walk into the Arena to play his 428th competitive match for FC Bayern Munich, leveling with Franz Roth. Both Muller and Roth are now joint holders of the 11th position on the club’s all-time appearance list. The next in target is Mehmet Scholl, who is 41 matches ahead.
Bayern leads the Bundesliga table with 66 points from 27 matches, just six points away from clinching the title. They will play their next Bundesliga game after the international break on March 31 at home against Borussia Dortmund.