Soccer

Bayern lose their first game of the season

Gladbach end Bayern’s record-breaking start to the season with 3-1 win

Bayern Munich’s Rafinha exchanges words with Arturo Vidal after their defeat at between Borussia Moenchengladbach. Photo: Reuters
Bayern Munich’s Rafinha exchanges words with Arturo Vidal after their defeat at between Borussia Moenchengladbach. Photo: Reuters
Sat Dec 05 2015 - 17:37

In-form Borussia Moenchengladbach struck three times in 14 minutes in the second-half to floor champions Bayern Munich 3-1 and inflict their first Bundesliga defeat of the season.

Oscar Wendt put the hosts ahead in the 54th minute and quick goals from Lars Stindl and Fabian Johnson knocked out Bayern, who looked stunned after winning 13 of their 14 league games in a record-breaking start to the campaign.

Franck Ribery scored on his comeback after an eight-month injury break but the Frenchman's 81st-minute goal came too late to turn the game around.

Gladbach, who face Manchester City in the Champions League on Tuesday, stretched their unbeaten run under coach Andre Schubert to 10 league games and climbed to third on 26 points. Bayern are top on 40, eight ahead of Borussia Dortmund, who take on VfL Wolfsburg later on Saturday.

READ MORE

Bayern, repeatedly caught napping at the back and lacking their usual pace on the wings with Arjen Robben and Douglas Costa out injured, were still the better side in the first half.

Robert Lewandowski connected with a superb Philipp Lahm through ball in the 18th minute and Thomas Mueller had a shot on goal but keeper Yann Sommer was well placed to save both efforts.

The Bavarians kept up the pressure and Kingsley Coman hit the post with a low drive in the 25th minute.

But Gladbach, in sensational form under Schubert following a five-game losing start, refused to buckle and hit the champions on the break, Raffael combining beautifully with Wendt and the Swede curling a low shot past keeper Manuel Neuer.

Julian Korb came agonisingly close to a second goal but Neuer, at full stretch, kicked the ball on to the bar. Stindl, however, was given far too much space in the box and he volleyed in on 66 minutes as the game tipped firmly in the hosts' favour.

Johnson beat the offside trap, with defender Jerome Boateng caught out, two minutes later before Ribery scored a consolation for Bayern.

Hertha Berlin climbed up to fourth with a 2-1 victory over 10-man Bayer Leverkusen, who had Sebastian Boenisch sent off with a straight red card for a dangerous challenge.

Leverkusen, who host holders Barcelona in the Champions League next week, have now won just once in their last five league matches and are five points off Hertha in eighth place as their rollercoaster season continued with their sixth defeat of the campaign.

Spaniard Jairo Samperio struck twice as Mainz 05 beat Hamburg SV 3-1 to move up to seventh on 23 points.