The competition can hope a bit, FC Bayern missed a successful start to the remainder of the Bundesliga season with Yann Sommer's debut.

One day after signing the new number one on Friday at pursuer RB Leipzig, the record champion did not go beyond a 1-1 (1-0).

With a win this Saturday at VfL Wolfsburg, SC Freiburg could move up to two points behind Munich, RB remains six points behind.

In front of 47,069 spectators in the sold-out Leipzig Arena, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting gave the defending champion the lead in the 37th minute.

Marcel Halstenberg (52nd) equalized a few minutes after the break for Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann's former club.

Before it started, Sommer high-fived each player individually.

"He has no reason to be nervous," Nagelsmann emphasized immediately before the kick-off at DAZN.

Sommer didn't seem nervous either, Bayern's Neuer had the first touch of the ball after just under 40 seconds, at least until Manuel Neuer recovered in a few months.

Not dangerous, it was just a bad pass to the top of Leipzig.

Sommer conceded no chance

In the minutes that followed, the 34-year-old Swiss showed that he was a goalkeeper, when Bayern were still looking for their way forward, but often passed the ball back again.

Leipzig started defending from about the middle line, not running wildly, but in an orderly and controlled manner.

But when the Munich offensive let the ball run quickly and played off their offensive class, it became dangerous.

Just like in the eighth minute, when national player Serge Gnabry only hit the post.

The Munich team gradually took control of the ball without creating any further chances.

Choupo-Moting was a bit up in the air, a lot going over the left, driven by the strong Alphonso Davies.

If the Leipzigers had a chance to counterattack, the ball at least ran smoothly to the Bayern penalty area.

The long-term absence of top scorer Christopher Nkunku and Timo Werner's bank role initially after his syndesmosis ligament rupture did not do the RB offensive any good.

Playmaker Emil Forsberg tried the first shot at the Bayern goal in the 22nd minute – too weak to seriously test Sommer.

The guests, where Thomas Müller had to be content with a place on the bench until the final phase, cheered for the first time after a good half hour.

When Leon Goretzka headed into the RB goal, Matthijs de Ligt had previously been offside, as the video referee confirmed.

The hoped-for cracker of the champions against the cup winners was not in this phase.

RB tried, but remained harmless, as with André Silva's solo, whose dangling in Bayern's penalty area was promptly punished by former Leipzig player Dayot Upamecano by winning the ball.

The people of Munich did it quite cool overall.

They were waiting for their chance, which came after a fine combination via Leroy Sané with a change of sides, Gnabry with the perfect cross from the left and then Choupo-Moting.

The ball landed in the goal with a direct acceptance.

After the break, RB continued as before the half-time whistle – until Bayern captain Joshua Kimmich played a bad pass in his own half, which Leipzig used this time.

The ball landed several times with the advanced defender Halstenberg, who didn't give Sommer a chance from close range.

Now it got more turbulent.

When Dayot Upamecano was practically the last man to foul Dominik Szoboszlai, RB fans and coach Marco Rose demanded the red card – but there was only yellow.

Bayern looked shattered, time for Werner.

The center forward, who missed the World Cup due to his injury, came on for Forsberg.

The fans didn't get many more chances, Müller shot just wide (90+3).