Leipzig (AFP)
Bayern Munich, the leaders, resumed the German Football League competitions, following a hiatus that lasted more than two months, with a 1-1 draw with its host, Leipzig, “the third”, in the opening and summit of the sixteenth stage.
The Bavarian club advanced through Cameroonian Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting in the 37th minute, while Marcel Halstenberg equalized for the landlords in the 52nd minute.
The last match in the league was held on November 13, before stopping for the Qatar World Cup 2022, and then the holidays and the winter break, and it was the only one of the five major leagues that did not resume its activities.
The Bavarian club raised its score to 35 points, compared to 29 points for Leipzig.
The newcomer, Swiss goalkeeper Jan Sumer, played his first match with Bayern, a day following his arrival from Borussia Monchengladbach, with a contract until 2025, to compensate for the absence of the giant team captain, Manuel Neuer, who was absent until the end of the season due to a leg fracture he suffered while skiing.
Coach Julian Nagelsmann’s team suffers from many injuries, and in addition to Neuer, French defender Lucas Hernandez is also absent until the end of the season because he ruptured the cruciate ligament during the first match in the World Cup in Qatar, while Senegalese international striker Sadio Mane will not return until next February at least following he was denied From the global finals, along with Moroccan international defender Naseer Mazraoui, who is suffering from the repercussions of his infection with the “Covid-19” virus during the “World Cup”.
On the other hand, veteran Hungarian international Leipzig captain and goalkeeper Peter Gulacci will be absent for a long time due to injury, similar to his French international striker Christopher Nkunku, who was denied the World Cup.
But Leipzig recovered a deadly weapon in his attack, German international Timo Werner, following recovering from an ankle injury that prevented him from participating with his country’s national team in the World Cup, and entered as a substitute in the second half.
Leipzig, led by its coach Marco Rose, has only lost twice since his appointment last September to succeed the Italian-German Domenico Tedesco, who was dismissed from his post.
Leipzig maintained its unbeaten record at home in the league this season, with six wins once morest two draws.