Champions frustrated by ten-man Werder

Bayern were left to rue what might have been after failing to exploit 75 minutes with a man more than a spirited Werder Bremen side on Sunday.

The 42,100 full house at the Weser stadium saw a breathless opening with chances at both ends, but the character of the game changed decisively after just quarter of an hour when Bremen defender Naldo received his marching orders for a foul on Bastian Schweinsteiger.

Bayern seized control of the game but failed to convert any of a string of chances before and after half-time, stand-in Werder keeper Christian Vander playing a blinder behind a grimly determined home defence as the sides played out their first goalless stalemate in 15 seasons.

The frustrating draw sees the champions drop a place to fifth in the Bundesliga on 39 points from 22 games, but results elsewhere mean Munich remain just four points off top spot, reclaimed at the weekend by Hertha Berlin.

Coach Jürgen Klinsmann made two changes to the team which beat Sporting 5-0 in midweek, Tim Borowski and Hamit Altintop coming in for the injured Luca Toni and flu victim Philipp Lahm.

That meant a positional shuffle for the champions, with Ze Roberto filling in at left-back, Altintop and Schweinsteiger taking up station on the flanks, and Franck Ribery pushed forward to partner Miroslav Klose up front.

There were a couple of reunions out on the field of play too, as ex-Bremen men Klose and Borowski came up against former FCB stars Claudio Pizarro and Torsten Frings.

Cracking opening

After referee Manuel Gräfe whistled the game underway, the sides tore into each other in an opening spell packed with action and drama. Klose elected to pass from Massimo Oddo’s defence-splitting ball when shooting looked much the better option, before FCB keeper Michael Rensing brilliantly turned Mesut Özil’s drive onto the post, the ball skidding along the goal-line where Zé Roberto hacked clear from Hugo Almeida.

Altintop was denied in a one-on-one with Vander after a slide-rule Ze pass, Ribery stumbling as he shaped to net the rebound. Oddo came to the rescue when Diego’s driven cross evaded Rensing, before Schweinsteiger’s 25-yard thunderbolt drifted inches wide.

Borowski side-footed wide from Klose’s cut-back, but the truly pivotal moment arrived on the quarter-hour when Per Mertesacker’s slip allowed Schweinsteiger a clear run to the edge of the box, where he was unceremoniously dumped to the floor by last defender Naldo, leaving referee Gräfe with no option but to brandish the red card.

Poldi for Schweini

A Ribery chance aside, Bayern found the going tough for a spell against the home side’s well-organised ten men, Pizarro even enjoying a headed chance from a Clemens Fritz cross. But the visitors took control after half an hour and camped out in the Werder half. Borowski missed the two best openings before the break, hitting the side-netting from the excellent Zé Roberto’s cross, before shooting straight at Vander from close in.

Klinsmann reverted to two out-and-out strikers after the interval, replacing Schweinsteiger with Lukas Podolski, but the Cologne-bound front man miscued two chances soon after the restart as Munich turned up the heat. Rensing stood firm against Diego’s angled free-kick, but the bulk of the chances came at the other end as Ribery twice drove narrowly wide.

Frustration to the end

The game exploded into life again with 20 minutes remaining, Pizarro screwing a glorious close-range chance wide of Rensing’s goal, before Vander pulled out a stunner of a save to deny Ze.

Birthday boy Andi Ottl replaced Borowski and Landon Donovan took over from Altintop as a third striker for the final push, but FCB struggled to create openings against a gritty and resolute Werder side.

Vander made another fine save to beat out Oddo’s cunning free-kick four minutes from time, before sub Daniel Jensen shanked the last chance of the match wide in stoppage time.

Live match report for fcbayern.de by Chris Hamley