A 90th-minute equaliser from Bayern Munich midfielder Joshua Kimmich saved his side from a second loss of the season, as they drew 1-1 at home against a dogged Cologne on Tuesday.
Cologne, who put seven goals past Bremen on Saturday, picked up where they left off, pressuring Bayern and winning a corner after just three minutes.
Cologne defender Julian Chabot kept the ball in the air from the corner, superbly finding an unmarked Ellyes Skhiri at the far post for the Tunisian international to tap in from close range.
The visitors almost doubled their lead after 29 minutes but Bayern keeper Yann Sommer pulled off a brilliant double save, keeping out Skhiri and Denis Huseinbasic.
Cologne kept wave after wave of Bayern attacks at bay and looked set for their first win at Bayern since 2009, but midfielder Kimmich scored pulled back a point for the hosts in the last minute of regulation time.
A beaming Cologne manager Steffen Baumgart said he was “a little annoyed” about the late equaliser but was “completely satisfied with the performance we showed. We showed a very good team a very good performance.”
Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann said his side “played a very good game in the second half” but two draws in two games in 2023 “is too little for what we’re going for.”
“Unfortunately it was not enough in the end.”
Kimmich tried to take the focus off coach Nagelsmann, telling German TV “it’s not about tactics, it’s about being ready.”
“It’s something we need to change quickly”
Bayern’s second successive 1-1 draw means any of Union Berlin, Eintracht Frankfurt or Freiburg could cut the Bavarian’s lead at the top to three points when they play on Wednesday.
Elsewhere, Wolfsburg continued their dazzling recent form, thrashing hapless Hertha Berlin 5-0, just days after putting six past Freiburg.
Swedish midfielder Mattias Svanberg volleyed in a free kick after just four minutes and captain Max Arnold scored his side’s second from the spot after 30 minutes after a blatant handball from Hertha’s Dodi Lukebakio.
Jonas Wind curved in a third just three minutes later, his third goal in four days. Ridle Baku and Omar Marmoush scored in the second half to make it six wins in a row for the Wolves.
Hertha are second-last and have lost their last six league games heading into Saturday’s Berlin against Union, who sit in fourth with a game in hand on leaders Bayern.
Hoffenheim’s Andre Kramaric scored a stunning long-range goal in the fourth minute of injury time to help his side to a 2-2 home draw against a ten-man Stuttgart.
Kramaric had given Hoffenheim the early lead, before goals by Serhou Guirassy and Wataru Endo seemed to have Stuttgart on course for a valuable three points.
Olmo outstanding
In Tuesday’s early game, RB Leipzig midfielder Dani Olmo scored one goal and assisted on three more as RB Leipzig moved into outright second with a 6-1 thrashing of struggling Schalke.
Portugal striker Andre Silva chalked up a brace in the first half either side of a strike from Benjamin Henrichs while former Chelsea forward Timo Werner scored on his return to the starting XI.
Schalke, who were booed off the pitch at halftime, showed more fight early in the second stanza, with Japanese midfielder Kozuki scoring his first goal in just his second appearance for the club in the 56th minute.
Olmo then scored a goal of his own, drifting in a curling shot from outside the box which floated over the fingertips of goalie Alexander Schwolow.
Danish striker Yussuf Poulsen added a sixth in the last minute of regular time to seal the visitors’ biggest league win of the season.
Schalke coach Thomas Reis apologised “to the public” after the performance, saying any team which produced such a showing “has no business in the Bundesliga”.
Leipzig are unbeaten in 15 matches in all competitions dating back to September 2022, having won 12 and drawn three.
The loss leaves Schalke stranded in last place, six points from safety, having played one game more than their likely relegation rivals.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)
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