3.. Despite leading 2:0 until only ten minutes remained in regular time, the match was a pulsating affair. The Freiburg side displayed an impressive performance, particularly notable considering that the first half was cagey with little to write home about.
The Bavarians, fielding a side missing their strikers Harry Kane and Nicolas Jackson, struggled for much of the game against Freiburg’s well-organized defense. Even Manuel Neuer, recognizing his place in a small historical circle of Bundesliga players to reach his 40th birthday, appeared to be having an off day.
Freiburg dominated the initial phase, creating the more promising chances and putting constant pressure on the Bayern goal. Philipp Treu even had a significant opportunity to open the scoring, narrowly missing the net. In the first half, Bayern found little penetration against the hosts’ aggressive backline, rarely able to threaten the goal guarded by Noah Atubolu.
The momentum shifted after halftime. Freiburg launched a quick counterattack, starting with Manzambi scoring from distance following a turnover. Shortly after, Höler capitalized on a defensive mix-up in the Bayern ranks to secure the 2-0 lead.
However, the defining moment belonged to Bayern late in the game. A double strike from Bischof provided the much-needed equalizer in the 81st and 92nd minutes. The decisive goal came moments later, with Lennart Karl netting the winner for the visitors in the ninth minute of stoppage time.
Other results from Saturday afternoon included Hoffenheim defeating Mainz 2:1, Bremen losing to Leipzig 1:2, Leverkusen securing a dominant 6:3 win against Wolfsburg, Hamburg and Augsburg drawing 1:1, and Gladbach battling to a 2:2 draw against Heidenheim.
