Tag: Freiburg

Categories
SPORTS

Freiburg knock Bayern out of Pokal with last-second goal

Freiburg

Mueez Ajao

– Lucas Hoeler scored a 95th-minute penalty as Freiburg came from behind to knock Bayern Munich out of the German Cup in the quarter-finals.

– Bayern took the lead through Dayot Upamecano’s header but Nicolas Hoefler equalised eight minutes later.

– Hoeler converted from the spot after Jamal Musiala handled in the box to book Freiburg’s semi-final place.

Also Read: Tuchel lauds Bayern in 4-2 win over Dortmund, but demands more

– It was Thomas Tuchel’s second game in charge after Bayern beat Borussia Dortmund 4-2 in the league on Saturday.

– The Munich club sacked boss Julian Nagelsmann after they dropped behind Dortmund in the Bundesliga table and replaced him with Tuchel, who managed their rivals from 2015 to 2017.

– Tuchel’s side dominated the cup tie for large parts but Hoefler’s rocket from outside the box after Kingsley Coman scuffed a clearance drew Freiburg level and Hoeler’s late spot-kick sealed a shock win.

– Freiburg lost last year’s final on penalties to RB Leipzig while Bayern have failed to reach the last four for the third successive year.

– Elsewhere Randal Kolo Muani scored twice in as many minutes to secure Eintracht Frankfurt’s progress in the cup with a 2-0 win against Union Berlin.

Categories
SPORTS

Dušan delivers as Juventus advance to quarterfinals

Dusan Vlahovic

Mueez Ajao

– Dusan Vlahovic converted a penalty, which also saw Freiburg go down to 10 men before half-time, and Federico Chiesa scored in stoppages as Juventus book their spot in the Europa League quarter-finals.

– The Bianconeri won the first leg 1-0 with an Angel Di Maria goal, but he was only fit for the bench along with Federico Chiesa, while Leonardo Bonucci, Paul Pogba, Arkadiusz Milik and Alex Sandro were injured. The hosts missed Daniel-Kofi Kyereh, but Michael Gregoritsch was able to start after only being a substitute in Turin due to illness and surprisingly Italy international Vincenzo Grifo was dropped.

– Ritsu Doan also returned to the XI and had a big chance early on the counter-attack, scuffing wide when Wojciech Szczesny was well off his line.

Also Read: Juventus sign Everton striker Kean on permanent deal

– Manuel Locatelli blasted straight at the goalkeeper, but Szczesny had to work hard to palm a towering Matthias Ginter header off the line from a corner.

– Dusan Vlahovic thought he had opened the scoring on 27 minutes when a free kick found Gleison Bremer’s header, it was palmed onto the crossbar and Moise Kean knocked it down for the Serbian to fire in from five yards. However, it was disallowed by VAR for offside on Kean’s touch.

– Kean’s angled drive was parried by Mark Flekken’s legs, then as the move continued Federico Gatti saw his shot cleared off the line by Ginter. However, VAR showed that Gatti’s effort was first charged down by Manuel Gulde’s raised arm and he was already booked, so this became a penalty and second yellow card. Vlahovic stepped up and managed to squirm the spot-kick in, despite Flekken getting a leg to it.

– Gregoritsch hit a free kick that swung not far wide of the far top corner, while Szczesny made a tough save on Lucas Holer after a scramble on a free kick.

– It was difficult to tell that Juve had an extra man in the second half, as the hosts continued to push for at least an equaliser on the night, infuriating Max Allegri.

– This changed when Chiesa came off the bench, as first his solo effort was pushed onto the crossbar by the goalkeeper, then he scored moments later on Adrien Rabiot’s assist by sweeping in from 12 yards.

Categories
SPORTS

Angel rises up to down repenting Freiburg

Angel Di Maria

Mueez Ajao

– Juventus beat Freiburg 1-0 on Thursday night thanks to a stunning header from Angel Di Maria.

– The Italian giants were on top for much of the first half, but could not find a way through amid some excellent last-ditch defending from Freiburg.

– They eventually find a way through thanks to a brilliant header from the in-form Argentine winger Di Maria, who thrashed home the only goal of the game.

Also Read: Juventus sign Everton striker Kean on permanent deal

– Freiburg did put the ball in the net, but it was ruled out for a handball in the build-up. 

– The two sides will contest a second leg in Germany next Thursday.

Categories
SPORTS

Haller scores since cancer return as Dortmund pile pressure on Bayern

Sébastien Haller

Mueez Ajao

– Borussia Dortmund crushed 10-man Freiburg 5-1 in the Bundesliga on Saturday, with forward Sebastien Haller on target for the first time since his return from cancer treatment, helping lift his side into third spot.

– The Ruhr valley club, who face Chelsea in the Champions League Round of 16 on Feb. 15, was in superb form as they made it four wins out of four league games since the restart and move up to 37 points, as many as champions Bayern Munich, in second, who are in action at VfL Wolfsburg on Sunday.

– Union Berlin are top on 39 following their win over Mainz.

Also Read: Adeyemi and Bellingham guide Dortmund past Leverkusen

– Freiburg, who dropped to sixth place on 34 points, slipped up at the start with Kiliann Sildillia booked twice in three minutes to reduce his team to 10 men in the 17th minute.

– It did not take long for Dortmund to make their advantage count and former Freiburg defender Nico Schlotterbeck rifled in for the lead from the tightest of angles in the 26th.

– Dortmund had Freiburg firmly on the back foot but the visitors struck against the run of play with Lucas Hoeler drilling in a loose ball after the hosts had failed to clear it near the end of the first half.

– Order however was quickly restored after the restart as Dortmund scored twice in a span of three minutes.

– Jude Bellingham set up Karim Adeyemi with a backheel flick and the Germany international slipped the ball past keeper Mark Flekken in the 48th to put them back in front.

Karim Adeyemi

– It was then Haller, back this year after undergoing surgeries and treatment for testicular cancer diagnosed only weeks after he had signed for the club last July, who scored his first competitive goal for them, heading in a cross in the 51st.

Sébastien Haller

– Dortmund captain Marco Reus should have scored as well when he was left unmarked in front of goal at the far post in the 55th, but he rattled the crossbar with his shot.

– Julian Brandt did not miss with a long-range effort that went in off the post in the 69th, and Gio Reyna completed Freiburg’s demolition in the 82nd, after Freiburg coach Christian Streich was sent off as well for dissent.

Julian Brandt

Categories
FEATURED STORIES SPORTS

Five-star Bayern batter slack Freiburg

Leon Goretzka, Leroy Sane and Alphonso Davies

Mueez Ajao

– Bayern Munich blasted five goals past hapless Freiburg in a 5-0 Bundesliga demolition job on Sunday to leapfrog them into second place.

– The champions are now on 19 points, one ahead of third-placed Freiburg, who suffered their second league loss, and four behind leaders Union Berlin, who were 2-0 winners over Borussia Dortmund.

– Bayern, who squandered a two-goal lead in a 2-2 draw with Dortmund last week, quickly showed they meant business with Serge Gnabry heading in on the rebound after Freiburg keeper Mark Flekken had parried a close-range shot by Leroy Sane in the 13th minute.

Also Read: Ruthless Bayern hit four past Plzen to reach knockout

– The champions hogged possession and gradually upped the pressure with forward Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting doubling their lead after shaking off Matthias Ginter and threading a low shot inside the far post for his first league goal of the season.

– Freiburg, whose only previous league loss was back in August, hardly got a look in and did not get a shot on target in the entire first half.

– It was much of the same after the break with Bayern hitting the woodwork through Gnabry six minutes after the restart.

– Sane did a better job a minute later, whipping in a superb left-footed shot past Flekken to make it 3-0 before Sadio Mane’s chip over the keeper in the 55th killed off the game.

– Marcel Sabizter’s 80th-minute shot completed Bayern’s rout.

Categories
SPORTS

Bayern Munich end mini-slump with tight win over Freiburg

Bayern Munich end mini-slump with tight win over Freiburg

Bayern Munich returned to winning ways with a battling 2-1 victory at home to Freiburg on Sunday, which extended their lead at the top of the Bundesliga to four points.

Bayern Munich, who lost on penalty kicks to Holstein Kiel in the German Cup in midweek having been beaten in the league by Borussia Moenchengladbach last weekend, prevailed in sleeting conditions.

Robert Lewandowski’s early strike and Thomas Mueller’s 74th minute winner helped them take advantage of RB Leipzig’s 2-2 draw at Wolfsburg on Saturday.

Freiburg had won their last five league games and were always in the contest, with Nils Petersen levelling moments after coming on in the second half.

He also rattled the bar late on as Bayern Munich clung on.

Bottom side Schalke 04, who snapped a 30-game league winless run last weekend, bid to lift themselves off the bottom when they visit Eintracht Frankfurt in Sunday’s late game.