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Madrid (AP) - Exactly 100 days after the Champions League triumph, Thomas Müller saved FC Bayern from the end of its long series of successes in Europe's premier football league.
Substitute Müller made it 1: 1 (0: 1) for a Munich B team at Atlético Madrid on Tuesday evening with a converted penalty.
Müller rewarded the courage of coach Hansi Flick, who allowed numerous Munich top stars to take a break from his point of view, after the group victory that had already been secured ahead of time, and who called up an inexperienced B-team.
The 1-0 for Atlético, who missed the early knockout stage, was achieved in the 26th minute by the best man on the pitch, Portugal's young star João Félix.
After the record series of 15 consecutive wins, Bayern almost lost a game in the premier class for the first time since the 1: 3 against Liverpool in March 2019.
Now they are 16 games unbeaten.
Four days before the Bundesliga top match against RB Leipzig, Flick chose a new type of test arrangement with a three-man chain in defense and the two 17-year-olds Bright Arrey-Mbi and Jamal Musiala in the starting line-up.
In addition to Manuel Neuer, Robert Lewandowski and Leon Goretzka, who had stayed in Munich, he also renounced Müller, Serge Gnabry, Kingsley Coman, Jérôme Boateng and Benjamin Pavard, all of whom were on the bench.
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The team, led by defense chief David Alaba as captain, had instructed Flick to “have fun and be brave” on the pitch.
That didn't work at first.
There was a lack of harmony and automatisms in the processes.
On the offensive, the thrown together Bayern formation remained largely harmless, although it was still well-known.
National player Leroy Sané remained largely pale on the wing, once shot from 17 meters far over the goal (14th).
Musiala shot past after a fine single action (30th).
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting was not an adequate replacement for the striker Lewandowski.
Atlético were long superior even without top striker Luis Suárez.
The 1-0 but was too easy.
Inexperienced defender Arrey-Mbi let Marcos Llorente escape from a throw-in on the left on his professional debut.
That fit in the middle, where João Félix finished.
National player Niklas Süle came too late, Alexander Nübel was powerless.
The former Schalke player could not distinguish himself in his Champions League debut at the Munich goal, had problems playing the ball with his feet, but did not fail either.
With a triple change, Flick turned things around after an hour.
The brave debutant Arrey-Mbi also left the field.
The Bavarians were now putting a lot of pressure on the firschen Müller and Gnabry.
Müller and Gnabry had their first chances.
Then Müller fell over an opponent's leg in the penalty area and kicked off the point himself: The penalty goal brought the guests a draw.
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