Bayern Munich 1-2 Hoffenheim: Report, Ratings & Reaction as Der FCB Fall to Shock Defeat

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Bayern Munich suffered a stunning defeat at the hands of Hoffenheim on Saturday afternoon, as Niko Kovac's side slipped up following their demolition of Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League in midweek.

Hoffenheim took a surprise lead early in the second half, Sargis Adamyan beating Manuel Neuer at his near post with a lovely finish. Robert Lewandowski equalised for the hosts with 17 minutes to play, as the Polish international headed home a wonderful cross by Thomas Muller.

Adamyan restored the away side's lead late on, finding a pocket of space in the area and firing beyond Neuer to give Alfred Schreuder's men a much-deserved victory in Munich. 


​Bayern Munich 

Key Talking Point 

It's fair to say, ​Bayern were expected to really build on their incredible victory over ​Spurs in midweek, when they destroyed the North London club 7-2. However, their performance was incredibly poor on Saturday afternoon, and the players seemed tired following their European endeavours. 

Bayern failed to dictate the pace of play, and their opponents grew into the game, eventually pegging the hosts back. The Bundesliga champions' midfield was sloppy in possession, and a mistake in the middle handed Hoffenheim the lead. Der FCB eventually fell to a shock defeat, and Kovac will be concerned by the sluggish display his players put in. 


Player Ratings 


​Starting XI: Neuer (6); Kimmich (6), Boateng (6), Süle (6), Pavard (5); Tolisso (5), Thiago (6); Coman (5), Coutinho (5), Gnabry (6); Lewandowski (7).

Substitutes: Perisic (5), Muller (8).

STAR MAN -  He may not have started the match, but Muller was the only man who looked capable of turning the tide in Bayern's favour against Hoffenheim. The experienced forward was a second-half substitute and looked lively for the home side, but ultimately could not prevent his team falling to a defeat. 

Muller provided an excellent assist for Lewandowski's equaliser, floating in a brilliant cross which landed perfectly on the striker's forehead. Although Bayern were unable to pick up any points, Muller proved he should be a starter for Kovac's side no matter what. 


Hoffenheim 

Key Talking Point

Life after Julian Nagelsmann has got off to a sticky start for Hoffenheim, after the excellent coach left to become the new manager of RB Leipzig. Nagelsmann's replacement Schreuder has struggled to pick up points at the beginning of this season, but he will be very encouraged by his side's performance against the German champions on Saturday afternoon. 

Even before taking the lead, Hoffenheim looked very dangerous and asked plenty of questions of Kovac's side, and their opening goal was no less than they deserved. Die Kraichgauer weren't able to hold onto the lead, but roared back to beat Bayern and claim their first Bundesliga victory at the Allianz Arena.

A performance which could prove to be the catalyst for their season. 


Player Ratings

Starting XI: Baumann (8); Hübner (8), Akpoguma (8), Kadeřábek (7), Posch (8); Geiger (7), Grillitsch (7), Skov (7), Rudy (8); Bebou (8), Adamyan (9)

Substitutes: Stafylidis (7), Nordtveit (7), Bicakcic (7)

STAR MAN -​ When Sargis Adamyan missed a great opportunity in the first half of the match, the Hoffenheim striker looked like a man totally bereft of confidence. That lack of self-belief didn't last much longer, as the Armenian striker scored two great second-half goals. 

Adamyan bagged his first, beating both ​Jerome Boateng and ​Neuer with a shot which sneaked into the near post. His second was an excellent exhibition of finishing, finding limited space in the box and lashing the ball beyond the Bayern keeper. 

A match-winning performance. 


Looking Ahead 

Bayern continue their Bundesliga title hunt in two weeks with a trip to Augsburg, as Kovac's men hope to bounce back from today's miserable performance and reclaim top spot in the Bundesliga. 

Hoffenheim follow up their excellent display in Munich with another stern test, as they host David Wagner's ​Schalke after the international break.