February 17, (THEWILL) – Bayern Munich drew 1-1 with Red Bull Salzburg on Wednesday night, with Kingsley Coman’s late goal cancelling out substitute Chukwubuike Adamu’s early strike to set up a tense second leg in their Champions League round of 16 encounter.
Outright dominance by Bayern was not expected yet the Bavarian giants failed to develop the cohesiveness and fluidity in the attacking third that is synonymous with their style of play and their setup for the second game in a row.
Coman’s late poacher’s leveller, though, was the difference in a game of two halves, with Julian Nagelsmann’s team deserving of a draw based off of their second half display.
Both teams enjoyed flowing attacking plays and gave their respective goalkeepers something to ponder about in what was a predictably entertaining and open start to the game. It was clear from the start that this would not be a one-sided affair.
In the first ten minutes, Bayern came closest to breaking the deadlock when Serge Gnabry cut into the penalty area before forcing Philipp Kohn into a smart save down to his right, but it was Salzburg who broke the deadlock in the 21st minute.
The hosts went on a swift breakaway after enduring a period of pressure, with Karim Adeyemi receiving a long ball and bursting past the halfway line and into the final third. The prodigy maintained his cool and found Brenden Aaronson, who in turn passed the ball to early substitute Chukwubuike Adamu, who came on in the 12th minute to replace the injured Noah Okafor. The 20-year-old bent the ball around a sprawled Sven Ulreich for the opener.
Just minutes later, Manuel Neuer’s stand-in demonstrated his ability by denying the hosts a second goal with a superb save from Aaronson’s 12-yard shot on goal.
After that shock, Nagelsmann’s team regained some composure and should have been level before halftime. After collecting Thomas Muller’s pass, Leroy Sane shot wide from roughly ten yards out, before Coman could only guide a Gnabry cross straight into the goalkeeper’s arms, much to his boss’s chagrin.
However, the first half would conclude on a contentious note, with a symphony of home-fan whistles drowning out Michael Oliver’s half-time meltdown.
It happened that Benjamin Pavard sloppily swung his leg at Niklas Sule’s sloppy throw-in, leading the Adeyemi to tumble to the ground after what appeared to be a clip to the ankle. The Salzburg striker was adamant he should have been handed a penalty. Replays, on the other hand, confirmed Chris Kavanagh’s decision to end his VAR check fast in favour of “no penalty”.
Bayern came out strong in the second half and took command of the game. Despite this, Die Roten were unable to come up with a clear path to goal given all their ball possession and offensive phases.
Wave after wave of coordinated attacks threatened the hosts, with Coman, in particular, seeming poised to bring the visitors back into the game with his deft artistry and ruthless drive. Bayern missed their finest chance with 15 minutes remaining, and the Frenchman was significantly involved once again.
Taking command of a ferocious counter-attack, Coman eventually found Sane in the penalty area, only for the German to round off his evening with a feeble effort from six yards out that was superbly saved by Kohn, who reacted quickly to grab the loose ball and keep Bayern at bay.
Soon after, Nagelsmann’s team was reminded of their opponents’ threat because Benjamin Pavard was forced to make a superb goal-line clearance as Adamu narrowly missed completing yet another smooth breakaway play for a brace for himself.
Bayern’s superiority and relentless pressure paid off in the final minute of the contest. Coman made no mistake in transforming his second-half display into a tangible result, shooting the ball into Kohn’s near post after Muller’s play into the box fell at his feet.
It was a close call for Die Rekordmeister, who will return to the Allianz Arena for the second leg with an important result.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
