Werkself battle to take point against FC Bayern

Bayer 04 end up with a point but a very important one indeed. That was just reward for the team’s determination, passion and competitive spirit – attributes the Werkself confronted the fancied and superior league leaders Bayern Munich with in the top game on matchday 29. In the end, the goalless draw almost felt like a win.

Tayfun Korkut again had to manage without Chicharito, Jonathan Tah (both rehab training), Lars Bender (ankle injury) and Hakan Calhanoglu (CAS ban). He only made one change to the line-up from last Saturday’s disappointing last-minute defeat at Leipzig: Julian Brandt replaced Karim Bellarabi, who started on the bench due to a hip problem.

The Werkself made it clear from the start they intended to get a result against the champions of Germany. Thanks to a very disciplined defensive performance, the Bayer 04 defence was able to keep the visitors from Munich away from their goal in the opening 20 minutes. And the hosts were also able to create chances.On eight minutes, Kevin Volland had the chance to convert a pass from Roberto Hilbert but Rafinha was able to intervene.

Kevin Kampl tested Manuel Neuer with a long-range effort on 13 minutes. Kai Havertz was stopped in the Bayern box on 21 minutes by central defender David Alaba before having another shot two minutes later. The FCB keeper Neuer was in the right spot to make the save as he was with another Kampl shot from distance on the half-hour mark.

Jedvaj, Toprak and Leno repel FCB

Up to that point there was little to be seen of Bayern’s attack but that changed after the opening 30 minutes. There were chaotic scenes on 32 minutes: With Bayer 04 shot-stopper Bernd Leno beaten, Tin Jedvaj blocked a shot from Alaba heading for the empty net with his chest. The ball rebounded to Javier Martinez and his volley was kept out by Ömer Toprak. That was not the end of the action in the Werkself box. That came seconds later with the Bayer 04 captain clearing the ball off the line from a header by former Leverkusen midfielder Arturo Vidal.

The men from Munich went on to create more clear-cut chances. A point-blank effort from Kingsley Coman brought out a world class save from Bayer 04 keeper Leno. Shots from Thiago (40’) and Vidal (43’, 44’) went over the bar. The two teams went into the half-time break on level terms. That meant the Werkself again did not concede in the first 45 in a seventh game under head coach Korkut.

Jedvaj sees red

The Werkself remained focused on solid defending after the restart. The visitors had the upper hand and they succeeded in putting Korkut’s team under pressure. Bayer 04 were lucky on 53 minutes when Thomas Müller shot wide of the target from a cross. Jedvaj then headed a powerful strike from Vidal away on 56 minutes.

The game came to a premature end for the Croat central defender two minutes later. Jedvaj was shown a second yellow card for a clumsy challenge on Müller just eight minutes after being booked the first time.

Bayer 04 were down to ten men for the final third of the match but they threw everything into standing up to the visitors in front of a sell-out crowd at the BayArena and the defensive work was marked by a combination of competitive spirit, passion and determination. That did have an effect on attacking ambitions at the other end of the park. The only efforts on goal in the second 45 came from substitute Bellarabi (74’), Kampl (83’) and Volland (92’).

Carlo Ancelotti’s team succeeded in pushing the Werkself back into their own penalty area as they pressed forward in search of a winner. The best chance for Bayern was squandered by substitute Philipp Lahm when he put a shot wide of the left upright from six yards out on 85 minutes. The Werkself refused to be cowed and they resisted with everything they had. The game against Germany’s record champions ended all square at with a hard-fought 0-0 draw bringing an important point for Bayer 04.

The Werkself move up to eleventh in the table. The next game is away to sixth-placed SC Freiburg on Sunday (15.30 CET).

Match stats

Bayer 04: Leno – Hilbert, Jedvaj, Toprak, Wendell – Baumgartlinger, Aránguiz (Dragovic 62’) – Havertz (Bailey 88.’), Kampl, Brandt (Bellarabi 67’) – Volland

FC Bayern: Neuer – Rafinha, Martinez (Lahm 72’), Alaba, Bernat – Kimmich, Vidal – Costa (Robben 60’), Thiago, Coman (Alonso 70’) – T. Müller

Goals:

Booked: Aránguiz (6th yellow card) / –

Sent off: Jedvaj (60’, second bookable offence)

Referee: Daniel Siebert (Berlin)

Attendance: 30,210 (sell out)