FCA take deserved point from Bayern in 2-2 draw

FC Augsburg twice led on Saturday afternoon but ultimately came away with a point after holding German record champions Bayern Munich to a thrilling 2-2 draw in an entertaining end-to-end encounter. Robin Fellhauer also made Bundesliga history with his record-breaking goal.

Manuel Baum made four changes to his starting XI following the game in Bremen, handing Juma Bah and Youngwoo Seol their first starts for the club. Rodrigo Ribeiro and Arijon Ibrahimović also came into the side. Marius Wolf (illness) and Alexis Claude-Maurice (muscular problems) were both unavailable, although Anton Kade returned to the squad after recovering from injury. Sima Suso was also included in the matchday squad for the first time.

It was to be an incredible start at the WWK ARENA. Just eight seconds were on the clock when Augsburg stunned the visitors. Bayern played the ball straight back to Manuel Neuer from kick-off, but the goalkeeper's attempted chip went badly wrong. Fellhauer reacted quickest, raced onto the loose ball and calmly slotted into the empty net to make it 1-0. It was a goal for the history books, setting a new record for the fastest goal ever scored in the Bundesliga!

Bayern quickly recovered from that early setback and gradually gained control, enjoying plenty of possession without finding a way through the Augsburg defence. FCA remained disciplined and alert at the back, looking to break forward quickly whenever the opportunity arose and continuing to pose a threat going forward.

Bah goes close as Bayern push back

Augsburg had a golden opportunity to double their lead in the 35th minute. Chrislain Matsima flicked on a corner from the right towards Bah at the far post, but the defender fired over the bar from close range. Bayern threatened at the other end just two minutes later when Josip Stanišić picked out Isamel Saibari on the right side of the penalty area, only for his effort from a tight angle to drift wide of the far post (37').

The visitors came even closer to equalising in first-half stoppage time. Aleksandar Pavlović delivered a cross into the box, which Harry Kane met on the volley. His attempt left the crossbar shaking, but the home side nevertheless headed into the dressing room with their slender lead intact.

Neither team made any changes at the break, and Bayern immediately ramped up the pressure. They thought they had equalised in the 50th minute when Luis Díaz acrobatically connected with a Saibari delivery following a Joshua Kimmich free kick. Dahmen got a hand to the ball but couldn't prevent it from crossing the line. However, a VAR review ruled out the goal after Stanišić was found to have been narrowly offside in the build-up.

Saibari levels before Ribeiro restores the hosts' advantage

The visitors did eventually even the scores shortly afterwards. Kimmich found Kane on the edge of the area, and the striker played a low pass into the path of Saibari. The attacking midfielder took an excellent first touch before slotting the ball into the bottom-left corner from around eight yards out.

Bayern continued to up the tempo, with Kane seeing an effort blocked, but it was Augsburg who struck next in the 64th minute. Hennes Behrens played Calvin Brackelmann through down the left, and Neuer could only parry his shot straight into the path of Ribeiro. The forward made no mistake with the rebound, sparking wild celebrations as FCA regained the lead. 2-1!

The game was now wide open. Serge Gnabry had the ball in the net for Bayern in the 73rd minute, but Kane had been offside when receiving the pass in the build-up and this goal was also chalked off. The visitors were left frustrated again shortly afterwards when Luis Díaz produced an audacious backheel finish from an Alphonso Davies cutback, only for another offside decision to deny them an equaliser.

Three VAR interventions before Brown equalises

Bayern threw everything forward in search of a second equaliser as the game entered its closing stages. Dahmen produced an excellent save to deny Kane's header at his right-hand post in the 79th minute, before Ibrahimović tested Neuer with a powerful strike at the other end (80'). Just a minute later, however, Bayern made it 2-2. Kane was played through on the left side of the penalty area and squared the ball perfectly for the arriving Nathaniel Brown, who finished with his left foot from around eight yards out (81').

The visitors kept pushing and almost completed the turnaround when Gnabry struck the post in the 83rd minute. There was still time for one final moment of drama in stoppage time, with VAR called into action once more following a scramble in the Augsburg penalty area. Gnabry was adjudged to have been offside, and the goal was ruled out. That proved to be the last major incident of a fiercely contested encounter at a sold-out WWK ARENA. Having twice taken the lead against the record champions, Augsburg held on for a thoroughly deserved point.

Baum's side are back on the road next weekend, travelling to newly promoted SV Elversberg on Saturday, 17th October (15:30 CEST).

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