May 09, (THEWILL) – Bayern Munich were held to a 2-2 draw against relegation-threatened Stuttgart in their final home game of the 2021/22 season.
Die Roten were unsurprisingly clumsy at times, despite creating plenty of chances to win the game. Stuttgart happily closed the gap on Hertha Berlin in 15th place to three points, while Bayern expanded their lead over Dortmund to ten points ahead of the final round of fixtures next weekend.
Bayern got off to a shaky start, with large gaps in their defence being routinely exploited. The hosts ignored these warnings, as Stuttgart seized the lead after just eight minutes.
Tiago Tomas, on loan from Sporting CP, scored after arriving precisely in the box to smash home Omar Marmoush’s cutback.
Going behind finally fired Die Roten into life, and after some eye-catching build-up play, Thomas Muller struck the bar from close range. Leon Goretzka then wasted an even better chance from within the penalty area, dragging an effort wide of the post.
Bayern still stayed extremely open in transition, and Marmoush was able to gallop through on goal in the 23rd minute before poking an effort wide.
The home side equalised just after the half-hour mark. Leon Goretzka slid Gnabry in behind, and the wingman’s effort found the back of the net thanks to the assistance of Stuttgart defender Konstantinos Mavropanos.
Bayern took the lead just before halftime. With an exquisite pass, Dayot Upamecano split the Stuttgart defence, and Muller whirled into space before pushing past Florian Muller.
Stuttgart, on the other hand, came out strong after the break and quickly equalised, despite an early let-off when Muller failed to convert from inside the six-yard box. Borna Sosa swung in a cross from wide and Sasa Kalajdzic leapt high to nod home at the back post after that miss.
The chance of a one-on-one with Germany’s number one should have been enough for Kalajdzic to put his team ahead but he fired calmly straight at Neuer.
Stuttgart continued to waste chances as the game progressed, with Philipp Forster dashing in behind following a Gnabry error but unable to capitalise.
Soon after, Robert Lewandowski found himself in the box with the ball at his feet and forced a fantastic save from Muller, who got the tiniest of touches to deflect his strike onto the crossbar.
This was the last clear-cut opportunity for either side to carve out a lead but both only ended with piece of the spoils.
With the draw, Stuttgart picked up a crucial point with implications for the end of the season. They remain in the relegation play-off spot though, and will host seventh-placed Cologne on the final day as they look for a miraculous escape.
The title is already secured for the hosts, and they will travel to Wolfsburg in their last game of the season as they look to finish on a high note.
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.
