A 90th-minute equalizer from Bayern Munich midfielder Joshua Kimmich saved his side from a second loss of the season on Tuesday, as they drew 1-1 at home against a dogged Cologne.
Cologne, who put seven goals past Werder Bremen on Saturday, picked up where they left off, pressuring Bayern and winning a corner after just 3 minutes.
Cologne defender Julian Chabot kept the ball in the air from the corner, superbly finding an unmarked Ellyes Skhiri at the far post for the Tunisian international to tap in from close range.
Photo: Reuters
The visitors almost doubled their lead after 29 minutes, but Bayern goalkeeper Yann Sommer pulled off a brilliant double save, keeping out Skhiri and Denis Huseinbasic.
Cologne kept wave after wave of Bayern attacks at bay and looked set for their first win at Bayern since 2009, but Kimmich scored, pulling back a point for the hosts in the last minute of regulation time.
A beaming Cologne manager Steffen Baumgart said he was “a little annoyed” about the late equalizer but was “completely satisfied with the performance we showed. We showed a very good team a very good performance.”
Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann said his side “played a very good game in the second half,” but two draws in two games in 2023 “is too little for what we’re going for.”
“Unfortunately it was not enough in the end,” he said.
Kimmich tried to take the focus off coach Nagelsmann, telling German TV that “it’s not about tactics, it’s about being ready.”
“It’s something we need to change quickly,” he added.
Elsewhere, VfL Wolfsburg continued their dazzling recent form, thrashing hapless Hertha BSC 5-0, just days after putting six past Freiburg.
Swedish midfielder Mattias Svanberg volleyed in a free-kick after just 4 minutes, and captain Max Arnold scored his side’s second from the spot after 30 minutes after a blatant handball from Hertha’s Dodi Lukebakio. Jonas Wind curved in a third just 3 minutes later — his third goal in four days. Ridle Baku and Omar Marmoush scored in the second half to make it six wins in a row for the Wolves.
TSG 1899 Hoffenheim’s Andre Kramaric scored a stunning long-range goal in the fourth minute of injury time to help his side to a 2-2 home draw against a 10-man VfB Stuttgart.
Kramaric had given Hoffenheim the early lead, before goals by Serhou Guirassy and Wataru Endo seemed to have Stuttgart on course for a valuable three points.
In Tuesday’s early game, RB Leipzig midfielder Dani Olmo scored one goal and assisted on three more as his team moved into outright second with a 6-1 thrashing of struggling Schalke 04.
Schalke coach Thomas Reis apologized “to the public” after the performance, saying any team that produced such a showing “has no business in the Bundesliga.”
Leipzig are unbeaten in 15 matches in all competitions dating back to September last year, having won 12 and drawn three.
The loss leaves Schalke stranded in last place, six points from safety, having played one game more than their likely relegation rivals.
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