Bayern dropped points again after a 2-2 draw with struggling Stuttgart.
After back-to-back draws for the champions, the arrival of Stuttgart at the Allianz Arena seemed like the perfect tonic. Winless so far this season, no team in German football has a worse record against Bayern. Stuttgart though, played bravely from the start, while Bayern looked out of sorts.
Julian Nagelsmann had rotated his side after midweek Champions League action, making Mathys Tel the youngest player in history to start a Bundesliga match for Bayern. It was Tel who opened the scoring when Alphonso Davies rode a challenge down the left before firing in a low cross.
Stuttgart almost had the perfect start to the second half, putting the ball into the back of the net after a horrendous Joshua Kimmich error. But VAR intervened to rule it out for a very light foul.
The visitors did get their equaliser a few minutes later, as Konstantinos Mavropanos intercepted a loose ball and squared for Chris Fuhrich who could not miss.
Bayern were shaking, but Jamal Musiala put them right with a brilliant individual goal. Receiving the ball in the box, he froze defender Atakan Karazor with a lovely faint before whipping his shot into the bottom corner.
Goalkeeper Florian Muller twice did well to deny Serge Gnabry and Musiala as Stuttgart weathered a storm of Bayern attacks.
Serhou Guirassy thought he had equalised with 10 minutes to play, but the referee once again ruled the goal out for a foul on Kimmich.
Matthijs de Ligt, who had struggled to deal with Guirassy throughout the match, fouled the Guinean in the box in stoppage time, giving the referee no choice but to award a penalty. Guirassy hammered his spot kick past Manuel Neuer to secure an impressive point in Munich.
TALKING POINT – DE LIGT IS STRUGGLING
Matthijs De Ligt had a desperately poor match against Stuttgart. The €67 million summer signing from Juventus was unable to deal with Serhou Guirassy’s strength, constantly held at arm’s length by the Stuttgart striker.
His reluctance to engage in aerial challenges helped the visitors keep their attacks going, while he conceded four fouls in an overall underwhelming display.
The desperate lunge on Guirassy which conceded the stoppage time penalty was the cap on a day to forget.
De Ligt has only six successful defensive actions so far this season, hardly an ideal return for Bayern’s investment.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH – SERHOU GUIRASSY (STUTTGART)
Guirassy gave a textbook number nine’s performance against Bayern. His strength and ability to hold the ball up allowed his teammates to break forward and join attacks, while he also worked hard without the ball.
He bullied Bayern’s defenders, especially De Ligt, and showed poise to hold the ball long enough to allow his teammates to find good positions.
With better finishing, he could easily have had a few assists.
His finish for the disallowed goal was excellent, while his pressure penalty in stoppage time was even better.
If he can repeat this sort of form, Guirassy will go a long way towards keeping Stuttgart well clear of relegation this season.
PLAYER RATINGS
Bayern: Neuer 5, Upamecano 6, De Ligt 3, Kimmich 5, Gnabry 6, Goretzka 6, Davies 7, Muller 6, Tel 7, Mazraoui 6, Musiala 7. Subs: Sane 6, Choupo-Moting N/A, Mane N/A, Gravenberch N/A, Stanisic N/A
Stuttgart: Muller 7, Anton, Ito, Mavropanos, Endo, Karazor, Ahamada, Sosa, Mvumpa, Guirassy, Tomas. Subs: Perea, Stenzel, Egloff, Bredlow, Millot, Kastanaras, Furich, Aidonis
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
30’ MIRACULOUS STUTTGART ESCAPE! Florian Muller makes two point blank saves, one from Tel and the other from Gnabry as the ball ping-pongs around the box.
36’ GOAL! Bayern 1-0 Stuttgart (Tel): Alphonso Davies finds space down the left, skips by one challenge and rolls his cross into the box. Mathys Tel spots the chance and whips his shot towards goal. It takes a slight deflection en route, but Tel becomes the youngest Bundesliga scorer for Bayern Munich.
52′ GOAL RULED OUT! A huge error from Kimmich hands Stuttgart an equaliser, with Fuhrich squaring to an unmarked Guirassy, but VAR intervenes and rules it out. The decision is a foul on Kimmich, but it’s a very light foul.
57’ GOAL! Bayern 1-1 Stuttgart (Guirassy): This one will stand. Mavropanos races in to intercept possession deep in the Bayern half and charges into the box. He looks up and squares to Fuhrich who whips his shot into the bottom corner.
60’ GOAL! Bayern 2-1 Stuttgart (Musiala): Jamal Musiala freezes Karazor with a feint, then curls his shot into the bottom corner. A sensational goal from the youngster puts Bayern back in front just as they started to look shaky.
90’ DE LIGT CONCEDES PENALTY! Stuttgart get a stoppage-time chance to equalise as Guirassy is fouled in the box long after the ball was cleared. Initially ruled a goal kick, VAR intervenes to award a penalty.
90’ GOAL! Bayern 2-2 Stuttgart (Guirassy): Serhou Guirassy equalises from the penalty spot. The Stuttgart number nine hammers his pen into the top right corner, and Neuer had no chance to stop it.
