Mitchell Weiser shocked his former team by scoring the lone goal as Werder Bremen secured a 1-0 victory over Bayern Munich on Sunday, maintaining Bayer Leverkusen’s seven-point lead at the summit of the Bundesliga.
This marked Bayern’s first league goalless draw since February 2020, when Leipzig, led by former Munich manager Julian Nagelsmann, held them to a 0-0 stalemate at the Allianz Arena.
Breaking a 27-game winless streak against the German champions, Bremen’s triumph, their first over Bayern in any competition since 2008, included 26 losses.
Bayer Leverkusen added pressure by clinching a dramatic 3-2 win against RB Leipzig on Saturday, with Xabi Alonso’s team rallying twice and securing the winner in injury time. Bayern, with two games in hand, faced heightened expectations entering Sunday’s match.
Bayern manager Thomas Tuchel, speaking to DAZN about the team’s performance, commented, “You have to ask the players. We played today like it didn’t matter, as if we were 10 points ahead and had a Champions League match to play on Tuesday. After the Leverkusen result, we wanted to start aggressively and send a signal, but we didn’t succeed at all.”
Despite VAR disallowing a first-half goal for Bremen due to a foul on Jamal Musiala, Mitchell Weiser took control in the second period. Weiser glided down the right wing and netted a powerful shot after 59 minutes, securing Bremen’s first victory over Bayern in 16 years.
“We showed everything you need to show to win here. Today we had a perfect day – and with that, you can beat Bayern,” said Weiser.
Following the opening goal, Bayern applied pressure but couldn’t breach Bremen’s defense. Thomas Mueller, a veteran of Bayern, described his team as “sluggish and lifeless,” acknowledging the defeat as “a hard slap in the face.”
Bremen, aiming to reverse a 16-year history of not defeating Bayern, showcased strength from the start. Weiser tested Manuel Neuer with a first-half shot, and a disallowed goal for Bremen in the same half intensified the contest.
Weiser, who spent three years at Bayern before leaving in 2015, celebrated his goal with style, dancing down the right flank and unleashing a powerful shot into the top of the net.
This victory marked Bayern’s second league loss of the season. They have an opportunity to narrow the gap at the top when they play their postponed game at home against Union Berlin on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Bremen’s win provides them with a nine-point cushion above the relegation zone.
APF