BAYERN Munich conceded a 71st-minute free kick to draw 1-1 at home against Hoffenheim at the end of a turbulent week for the champions but they stayed two points clear at the top of the Bundesliga with six games remaining.
It was Bayern’s latest slip-up under coach Thomas Tuchel following last week’s German Cup exit to Freiburg and Tuesday’s 3-0 Champions League quarter-final first-leg loss at Manchester City.
The league draw had only limited impact after second-placed Borussia Dortmund squandered a two-goal lead and conceded a stoppage-time equaliser in their 3-3 draw at VfB Stuttgart to remain two points behind Bayern on 57.
RB Leipzig climbed into third place on 51 after their 3-2 victory over Augsburg.
“It is a setback in terms of performance and our missing conviction and self-confidence,” said Tuchel with an eye on Wednesday’s return leg against City.
“Today was the moment to show what we have, to win the game at all costs, show energy and light a fire in the stadium.”
Tuchel said all that would have been important ahead of the City game.
“We failed to do any of that. We are not without chances (against City) but our task did not become any easier after today.”
The Bavarians were without the suspended Sadio Mane following his clash with teammate Leroy Sane after the loss to Manchester City. Mane hit Sane after the game, earning a fine and a one-game ban.
While Bayern looked sluggish in the first half with only a few chances, they did go in front when France international Benjamin Pavard drilled in after 17 minutes.
Tuchel, who took over from Julian Nagelsmann last month, had said before the game that the Mane case was closed but it was obvious the incident had affected the side beyond Sane’s visibly swollen lip.
Despite pressure during spells in the second half, the hosts clearly lacked any spark up front and gradually eased off at the back.
“We had no tempo, no pace and only in really short phases were we good. At one time in a 60-second span we played six or seven wrong passes,” Tuchel said. “There is huge room for improvement.”
The visitors came close with two chances in the 55th — a Pavel Kaderabek volley and an Angelo Stiller header — that both narrowly missed the target.
They did better in the 71st and bagged an unexpected equaliser courtesy of a curled Andrej Kramaric free kick.
Hoffenheim thought their joy had been short-lived when Pavard stabbed in from close range a minute later only for his effort to be ruled offside.
