Louis van Gaal intimated Bayern Munich would have to learn to keep clean sheets to have any hope of retaining their Bundesliga title in response to his side’s 4-2 win over Freiburg on Friday (check out Bundesliga match coupon).
The injury-hit Bavarians looked to be on their way to a one-sided win once Martin Demichelis and Mario Gomez had given them a comfortable two-goal cushion either side of the interval.
However, the defensive frailties that have cost Bayern in a sluggish start to the domestic season resurfaced when Robin Dutt’s troops threatened to silence the 69,000 capacity crowd at the Allianz Arena.
Stefan Reisinger halved the deficit on 64 minutes – just 60 seconds after he was introduced as a substitute – but Bayern restored their lead when Anatoliy Tymoschuk rounded off a sweeping counter-attacking move.
The match appeared over as a contest when Toni Kroos put the German giants further ahead only for Edson Braafheid to put through his own net.
Coach van Gaal admitted Bayern, still missing the likes of flying wingers Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery, had not been at their best in an uneventful first half and hailed Germany schemer Bastian Schweinsteiger as the game-breaker.
The Dutchman said: “I’m happy with the result. We didn’t play well in the first half. We were far better after half-time, but we’ve conceded goals again. This group of players has played football the way Bayern Munich can – and that’s what really matters.”
He added: “Schweinsteiger made the difference in the second half: he took over the playmaking duties, he held up the play and distributed possession. He was terrific.”
Bayern are next in action on Wednesday when they travel to Romania looking to maingtain their 100 per cent start to Uefa Champions League Group E qualification against CFR 1907 Cluj (5/1 Cluj – Uefa Champions League Group E – To Qualify).
France winger Ribery is again expected to miss out as he continues his recovery from a long-standing anle injury.
He has not given up hope of a place in the matchday squad for Bayern’s Bundesliga trip to Monchengladbach on November 6.
“I think there’s a good chance I’ll be involved against Gladbach,” he was quoted as saying by the Munich-based tz.
“But I’m determined to play again against Nürnberg [on 14 November]. That’s my target, and I’m certain I’ll make it.”
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