The Munich rain didn’t put a damper on FC Bayern’s celebrations as they began their title defense Friday night at the Allianz Arena. Pep Guardiola’s men got the 2-1 win over VfL Wolfsburg, after they began the evening by honoring the Bayern players who helped Germany to a World Cup victory this summer in Brazil. Visitors Wolfsburg will rue the missed chance to get a point.
Bayern Munich vs. Wolfsburg: Final score 2-1, Robben inspires a close Bayern win
The Bundesliga kickoff match between Bayern Munich and Wolfsburg showed the reigning champs weren’t at their best, but still able to grind out a win thanks to another great Robben performance.
Early on, Bayern struggled to play the kind of football that Guardiola envisioned when he drew up this strange edition of a 3-4-3 formation. It looked like they had taken the lead 28 minutes into the mach but Arjen Robben was correctly ruled offside meaning his assist to new signing Robert Leanadowski didn't count. Lewandowski would have another chance less than two minutes later with a Zlatan-esque flying karate kick bottom of the boot effort that Wolfsburg keeper Max Grün did well to save. The pressure was on for the visitors.
It was no surprise when Thomas Müller opened his account for the season in the 37th minute with a sublime flick across the face of the goal after the ball came in on the ground from Robben on the right wing. The Dutch winger beat his man to the byline and drilled the ball to the near post and Müller guided it to the far post, banking it off the frame of the goal and in with his first touch.
At halftime, Bayern had eight shots on goal compared to just two for Wolfsburg, as the visitors had less than a third of possession. Dieter Hecking’s side would concede shortly after half however, as Robben carved through a number of die Wölfe defenders and curled it in to the net less than two minutes after the second half kickoff.
Max Arnold replaced Aaron Hunt after halftime for the visitors. The first action followed shortly as former Bayern striker Ivica Olić would pull one back for the visitors 52 minutes in, when his effort from the right side, just outside of the area would beat Manuel Neuer to the far post, hitting the underside of the crossbar and giving us an early goal of the season candidate. It also gave us the makings of a good second half at 2-1.
Recently arrived Lewandowski got on the end of a through ball despite looking offside to put himself one-on-one with the keeper, but Grün was up to the task again to preserve the one-goal deficit 57 minutes on. Wolfsburg boss Hecking opted for some fresh legs with his second substitution of the match on the hour mark, bringing on Daniel Caliguiri for Vierinha in attacking midfield. Pep made a change two minutes later, bringing Xherdan Shaqiri on in place of Mario Götze. Neuer was almost made to pay when he was caught outside the area, but Juan Bernat was able to prevent Kevin de Bruyne from scoring. If you had Luiz Gustavo to pick up the first yellow card of the Bundesliga season in your office pool, you won in the 69th minute when he went in the book for shoving Lewandowski in the back 10 yards outside the area. Alaba shot the free kick straight at Grün.
Replacing the man on the yellow card was the 19-year-old Belgian defensive midfielder Junior Malanda, coming on with just under 20 minutes to play. Around this time, Bayern’s pressing started to ease, with the thin squad looking tired after a long summer of international and friendly matches. Lewandowski made way for Sebastian Rode, the 23-year-old making his first appearance of the season.
Malanda will have nightmares of his missed 80th-minute chance. A low cross came in from the left and Malanda got on the end of it brilliantly, but his shot deflected off of Neuer, onto the underside of the crossbar, back to the midfielder who wasn’t ready for it and his touch sent it 5 yards wide despite him standing in the shadow of the goal frame.
Rode was denied a goal after his shot which curled across the box and went in was judged to have hit the backside of a Müller streaking across the box, but not making contact with the ball. Gianluca Gaudino was subbed off just before full time after a great debut, being replaced by Pierre-Emile Højbjerg. Robben missed a chance to make it 3-1 moments later when he shot over the bar. Only three minutes of added time didn’t give Wolfsburg a chance for an attack, and the 71,000 spectators went back to celebrating when the final whistle sounded and the scoreboard read 2-1 in favor of their club.
Bayern Munich starting lineup (3-4-3): Manuel Neuer; Holger Badstuber, Dante, David Alaba; Arjen Robben, Gianluca Gaudino (Pierre-Emile Højbjerg), Philipp Lahm, Juan Bernat; Thomas Müller, Robert Lewandowski (Sebastian Rode 79'), Mario Götze (Xherdan Shaqiri 62').
Goals: Muller 37’, Robben 46’.
Wolfsburg starting lineup (4-2-3-1): Max Grün; Sebastian Jung, Robin Knoche, Naldo, Ricardo Rodriguez; Josuha Guilavogui, Luiz Gustavo (Junior Malanda 71’); Aaron Hunt (Max Arnold 46’), Kevin de Bruyne, Vierinha (Daniel Caliguiri 60’); Ivica Olić.
Goals: Olić 52’
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