Second-string Bayern held at Freiburg
ByReuters
Updated 27/08/2013 at 21:05 GMT
A below-strength Bayern Munich side conceded a late equaliser to draw 1-1 at Freiburg and move one point clear at the top as their perfect start to the Bundesliga season ended.
Bayern Munich's Xherdan Shaqiri (L) and Pizarro celebrate Shaqiri's goal against Freiburg during their German Bundesliga first division soccer match in Freiburg August 27, 2013 (Reuters)
Image credit: Reuters
Freiburg substitute Nicolas Hoefler pounced at the far post to level the score in the 86th minute after Xherdan Shaqiri had fired the visitors ahead with a 33rd minute volley.
There was more bad news for Bayern as Bastian Schweinsteiger limped off 12 minutes from time with an ankle injury ahead of Friday's UEFA Super Cup match against Chelsea in Prague.
The treble winners have 10 points from four games. Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen and Mainz 05, who all have nine points, are in action at the weekend. Freiburg have two points.
Bayern coach Pep Guardiola made seven changes to the team that beat Nuremberg 2-0 on Saturday for a match moved forward because of the showdown with Europa League winners Chelsea.
"I think we played very well today, we played forward and had a lot of chances," Guardiola told reporters. "But when you lead 1-0 then this (an equaliser) can always happen. I'm still very proud of my players.
"Now we have two days to recover and play the (Super Cup) final as well as possible," said the Spaniard.
The Bavarians controlled possession but were clearly lacking any spark with Arjen Robben, Philipp Lahm and Franck Ribery on the bench and Freiburg holding out well against them.
The visitors had to wait 33 minutes to take the lead when Shaqiri did well to control a cross from Thomas Mueller at the far post and drill home a powerful volley from a tight angle.
They did carve out several chances in the second half but Freiburg keeper Oliver Baumann was in superb form, denying Toni Kroos and Mueller from point blank range.
"It's our fault," said Lahm, who was brought on along with Ribery in the second half. "We had enough chances to make it 2-0 and finish the game. It is absolutely no excuse that some players did not start today."
Freiburg had come agonisingly close to an equaliser on the hour when 20-year-old Charles-Elie Laprevotte curled a shot on to the post in his Bundesliga debut.
The home side's endeavours were finally rewarded four minutes from time when Hoefler snatched an unexpected leveller with Bayern's central defenders caught napping.
"You have to be frustration tolerant when you play against Bayern because you never get the ball," said Freiburg coach Christian Streich.
"But when a game is still 1-0 you always have a chance and with our fans pushing us in the last ten minutes it worked."
The result extended Bayern's unbeaten run to a club record 29 games as they chase Hamburg SV's league record of 36 matches without defeat from 1982/83.
Bayern also set a Bundesliga record of scoring at least one goal for a 41st consecutive game.
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