Munich (Germany) (AFP)

Four days after their club world title conquered Thursday in Qatar, the tired Bayern almost got caught on Monday by the promoted Bielefeld, and only pulled a 3-3 draw in the 70th minute after having long scored two goals from delay.

The reigning champion has burned a wild card, but still keeps five points ahead of his runner-up Leipzig and ten over third Frankfurt, both winners this weekend, after 21 days of the Bundesliga.

Bielefeld was leading 2-0 in the 48th minute when Robert Lewandowski cleared the "Rekordmeister" score with his 25th goal of the season.

The visitors regained their lead (3-1, 49th)) but Corentin Tolisso (3-2, 57th) and Alphonso Davies (3-3, 70th) saved their team from a huge misstep at home, against a team who was 16th and jump-off at kickoff.

In his defense, the "Rekordmeister" had to deal with a decimated team, and manage the thermal shock, from the heat of the Persian Gulf to the snowstorm of the first period against Bielefeld.

Between the wounded (Gnabry, Douglas Costa, Nianzou), the patients of Covid-19 (Goretzka, Martinez, Müller) and the executives spared after the World title (Kimmich, Pavard), the coach Hansi Flick had composed his team with the means at hand: the former Olympique de Marseille player Bouna Sarr started the match on the right flank of the defense, and Corentin Tolisso was in the middle for the seventh time only this season, in a duet with David Alaba.

- Lewandowski's 25th goal -

In attack, the former Paris SG Eric Choupo-Moting took the place of Thomas Müller, in support of Robert Lewandowski.

But despite its star workforce, Bayern, without Thomas Müller and especially without Joshua Kimmich as sentinel, both defensive lock and master of the recovery, is not quite the same team.

And Bielefeld, without complex, quickly took advantage of the weaknesses of the Bavarian defense.

The Dutchman Michel Vlap, who arrived from Anderlecht in the winter transfer window, slipped into a hole between Niklas Süle and Bouna Sarr full axis at 16 meters to open the scoring (1-0, 9th).

In the 37th minute, Amos Pieper badly taken by the defense scored with a header from a corner (2-0).

Bielefeld, whose last victory in Munich was in 1979, could begin to dream of a feat.

Robert Lewandowski closed the gap with a sumptuous goal, cushioned the chest back to goal and a perfect pivot volley (2-1, 48th), but the visitors, who had their best game of the season, remade the break in the next minute by Christian Gebauer (3-1, 49th).

After Tolisso's goal (3-2, 57th), Hansi Flick gave back some punch to his team by replacing Sarr with Kimmich (58th).

A thunderous recovery at 16 meters from Alphonso Davies (3-3, 70th) rewarded the best end of the game for the Bavarians.

© 2021 AFP