Bayern Munich began their pre-season campaign with a surprise 2-1 defeat to 3. Liga side Wehen Wiesbaden on Saturday, as the hosts marked their 100th anniversary with a memorable victory at a packed Brita-Arena.
Rotation policy exposed
Vincent Kompany utilised his squad extensively throughout the 90 minutes, fielding a team comprised largely of academy prospects and fringe players during the first half before introducing senior internationals after the interval. João Palhinha, Sacha Boey and Arijon Ibrahimovic were among the experienced figures to feature in the second period.
The rotation policy was necessitated partly by the absence of several established stars, who remain on extended breaks following their involvement at the World Cup.
Late winner decides contest
The Hesse club took the lead through Ibrahim Ati Allah, sending the home crowd into raptures during their centenary celebrations. Bayern restored parity around the hour mark when 21-year-old midfielder Tom Bischof calmly converted from the penalty spot, having won the kick himself through a determined run into the box.
However, the Bavarians were denied a draw when Lukas Schleimer capitalised on hesitant goalkeeping from Sven Ulreich to score the winner five minutes from time, sealing a historic success for the third-tier outfit.
Bischof urges patience
Despite the disappointing result, Bischof struck a positive tone regarding the team’s overall display. “We controlled the game for long stretches,” he said. “We perhaps lacked a bit of movement, but that’s normal after just one week of training. It’s a pity we ended up losing in the end, because the win was there for the taking.”
The young midfielder also revealed his confidence from 12 yards came from dedicated preparation. “Today, it was clear that I was going to take the ball for the penalty. I’ve been practicing penalties a lot recently. I felt confident [to take the penalty today], and I’m glad it paid off,” he explained.
Fixture schedule
The result represents an inauspicious start to Kompany’s first pre-season in charge, though such encounters primarily serve to build fitness rather than indicate competitive readiness. Bayern will look to sharpen their cohesion when they face amateur club Rottach-Egern on Thursday. Wehen Wiesbaden, buoyed by this result, now turn their attention to their 3. Liga curtain-raiser against SC Preußen Münster.