‘Gladbach wins 3-1 in 1st Bundesliga defeat for Bayern

After the break it was very complicated, we lost possession too often.

The visitors continued to pile on the pressure and almost found the opener in the 26th minute, but Robert Lewandowski was denied by Sommer, befoe Kingsley Coman rattled the woodwork with the rebound.

Bayern Munich are like a machine recently, having won five in a row and thirteen of their last fifteen.

Gladbach then added a third goal two minutes later, as Fabian Johnson latched onto a fine pass from Julian Korb, before calmly slotting past Neuer. “We should be operating like we have been doing in the past games, play with risk but also with brains”, said the versatile defender, who has also been deployed in midfield as Schubert shuffled positions.

After a nine-month ankle injury lay-off Franck Ribery was named on Friday in Bayern Munich’s squad for this weekend’s Bundesliga trip to Borussia Moenchengladbach.

Lehmann – a Bundesliga victor with Borussia Dortmund in 2001-02 – suggested that while it would be hard for Bayern to replace a coach of Guardiola’s ability, it could serve to make the top flight more open.

Bayern are now just five points clear of nearest rivals Dortmund after BVB defeated Wolfsburg in the late kick off. The performance didn’t impress captain Phillip Lahm. “After the first goal we lost our shape a little”.

He was the best player in the Champions League in Bayern’s successful 2012/13 season-eventually being awarded as such in one of those rare moments when an individual accolade at the highest level didn’t go to Messi or Ronaldo.

Saturday was the first time Bayern have conceded three goals since losing 3-0 at Barcelona in the first leg of last season’s Champions League semi-finals.

Their sparkling attacking game has seen them beat Bundesliga heavyweights Wolfsburg and Schalke 04 among others as well as drawing twice with Juventus and also scoring their first Champions League victory over Sevilla.

Schubert said: “Our fans are great for us”.

Hertha scored their second through US global John Anthony Brooks and the win left them fourth as Leverkusen drop to eighth.

Elsewhere, Berlin wrapped an important 2-1 win over 10-men Leverkusen in the race for an global berth for next season.

Hertha went ahead in the seventh minute after some good interplay between Per Ciljan Skjelbred and Vedad Ibisevic, who set up Vladimir Darida to score.