Hoffenheim battle for a point

Manager Holger Stanislawski made two changes from the side which lost 2-0 at Köln last Sunday. Chinedu Obasi came in for Peniel Mlapa and Daniel Williams replaced Domink Kaiser in the centre of midfield. Vedad Ibisevic, back from knee ligament damage, took his place on the bench. Jupp Heynckes replaced Rafinha with Holger Badstuber, moving Philipp Lahr to right-back.

In perfect weather in Hoffenheim, the game got off to a flying start, as both defences were called into action early on. Bayern looked dangerous when the ball found its way to the feet of Franck Ribéry, while Hoffenheim put their own pressure on the league leaders by forcing two early corners. The first real chance of the game fell the way of FC Bayern. Jerome Boating went on a surging run into the box. He was challenged by Obasi and the ball ricocheted towards the Hoffenheim goal, forcing Tom Starke into a good reflex save. Ribéry was again finding space cutting in from the wings, but he was denied by some stoic defending by Marvin Commper, Isaac Vorsah and Sebastian Rudy.

And the home side soon had the best chance of the half. Rudy swung in a free-kick from the left and Commper, in the manner of Uwe Seeler in 1970, headed the ball back across goal with the back of his head, forcing Manuel Neuter to save at full stretch. It was an astonishing effort.

Hoffenheim continued to apply the pressure. Firmino had a header saved by Neuer, while Gylfi Sigurdssson went to ground in the box under pressure from Daniel van Buyten, but referee Thorsten Kinhöfer waved play on (33). Bayern looked troubled by the pressing game of their hosts. Neuer saved again, from Ryan Babel this time, while Anatoliy Tymoschuk saw yellow for a cynical foul on Rudy (42). Bayern were glad to get to half-time still on level terms, their goal having been under siege for the final 20 minutes of the first half.

Stani made no changes for the second half, while Jupp Heynckes opted to bring on Arjen Robben in place of Ribéry. The home side started the second half as they began the first. Gylfi Sigurdsson had an effort from distance pushed away by Neuer, forcing their sixth corner of the game for the hosts. Heynckes soon replaced the ineffective Mario Gomez with ex-Hoffenheimer David Alaba (58). Still Hoffenheim continued to apply the pressure. Ryan Babel was inches away from connecting with a dangerous cross from the right, while Firmino also missed the target when well-placed. After Lahm had been booked, Bayern's third yellow card of the afternoon, Williams was replaced by Kaiser. And they actually had the ball in the back of the net on 69 minutes when Bastian Schweinsteiger converted, but it was ruled out for a foul on Tom Starke, a correct decision by referee Kinhöfer.

Both sides looked fatigued after competing in a full-blooded affair, and Hoffenheim soon changed to a counter-attacking style. The final phase of the game passed with Bayern enjoying possession, but Chinedu Obasi nearly stole the points for Hoffenheim. He dribbled into the box and flashed a shot across the face of goal, but there was nobody there to turn the ball home (85). The final whistle sounded soon afterwards, to bring a thrilling game to a conclusion and giving Hoffenheim a well-deserved point. But for a little more luck, it would have been all three points for Stani's side, and the end of Bayern's superb run.

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