Bayern Munich’s eventful week continued as they were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga on Saturday.
The result came just days after their 3-0 defeat to Manchester City in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie, and after reports of an altercation between Sadio Mane and Leroy Sane in the dressing room.
Despite early dominance, Bayern’s only goal came from Benjamin Pavard in the 17th minute, who poked in Kingsley Coman’s skewed shot from close range. The defending champions continued to look comfortable but failed to create any noteworthy chances before the interval, except for Serge Gnabry’s powerful strike from outside the box that missed the target.
After the restart, Coman tested Hoffenheim goalkeeper Oliver Baumann from distance, while Joao Cancelo’s shot was denied by Baumann’s acrobatic save. However, Andrej Kramaric’s 71st-minute free-kick proved too precise for Bayern’s Yann Sommer, restoring parity for the visitors.
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Bayern’s Pavard thought he had restored the hosts’ lead moments later with a back-post finish, but the goal was ruled out for offside. Despite having several chances to score the winner, Bayern failed to convert them, and the game ended in a draw.
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The result leaves Bayern with an indifferent start to life under manager Thomas Tuchel, with the defending champions retaining a two-point lead at the Bundesliga summit after Borussia Dortmund failed to beat Stuttgart.
Bayern’s eventful week began with their 3-0 defeat against Manchester City in the Champions League quarter-final first leg on Wednesday. After the match, reports emerged that Mane had punched team-mate Sane in the dressing room, leading to a fine and suspension for the Senegal international.
The altercation has raised questions about the team’s cohesion and morale ahead of the second leg against Manchester City, which Bayern needs to win convincingly to progress to the semi-finals. The draw against Hoffenheim has added to the pressure on Tuchel and his players, who will need to improve their form quickly to meet the expectations of the club’s fans and management.
The draw has dented their hopes of retaining the Bundesliga title, and they will need to bounce back quickly to avoid further setbacks.
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