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Serge Gnabry dejected at the final whistle.
scuppered

Costly day for Bayern as 92nd-minute equaliser sees Bundesliga champions drop points

Niklas Sule suffered a serious injury as Bayern were held away to struggling Augsburg.

AUGSBURG SCORED AFTER 30 seconds and again in second-half stoppage time to claim a dramatic 2-2 draw at home to Bayern Munich, as Niklas Sule suffered an injury that will have the Bundesliga champions concerned.

Marco Richter scored in the opening minute for hosts Augsburg on Saturday as Bayern struggled to bounce back from the loss they suffered to Hoffenheim before the international break.

But after the visitors lost a distressed Sule to injury, Serge Gnabry set up Robert Lewandowski to net for a record-equalling eighth straight game at the start of a Bundesliga campaign.

Former Arsenal youngster Gnabry then scored himself in the second half. That would not prove to be the winner, though, Alfred Finnbogason tapping in one minute into added time to stun Niko Kovac’s side.

Had Bayern won, they would have returned to the top of the Bundesliga after Wolfsburg lost at RB Leipzig. Instead, Bayern were left a point off the pace, with Borussia Monchengladbach in with a chance to extend their lead when they played Borussia Dortmund later on Saturday.

imago-20191019 Philippe Coutinho in action against Augsburg on Saturday afternoon. Imago / PA Images Imago / PA Images / PA Images

An explosive start saw Augsburg forward Richter volley in from eight yards after Rani Khedira headed into his path, capping a move that began with a simple throw-in.

Richter flashed a shot wide from a great chance to add a second goal, with Sule injured in the build-up when challenging Florian Niederlechner for possession.

The Bayern defender immediately clutched his leg and David Alaba replaced him. But Bayern levelled in the 14th minute, as Lewandowski headed in Gnabry’s in-swinging cross, keeper Tomas Koubek unable to keep it out despite getting a hand on the ball.

Bayern came within inches of taking the lead twice before half-time, with a Gnabry volley bouncing off the post and Tin Jedvaj clearing Thiago Alcantara’s effort off the line.

Four minutes into the second half, though, Bayern did break through as Gnabry cut inside and found the bottom corner with a sweet left-footed strike from 20 yards after being found by Philippe Coutinho.

Koubek made what proved to be pivotal saves from Coutinho and Kingsley Coman, while substitute Thomas Muller could not convert a glorious late chance just before Augsburg went up the other end to level.

Two substitutes combined as Sergio Cordova outmuscled Lucas Hernandez and laid it on a plate for Finnbogason. The draw left Kovac dismayed and home boss Martin Schmidt celebrating in delight after a contest that matched last year’s encounter – which Bayern won 3-2 after also conceding in the first minute – for drama.

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