Guardiola: That was a crazy comeback
© AFP
Pep Guardiola rates ten-man Bayern Munich's 'crazy' 2-1 comeback win at Hoffenheim on Saturday as one of the best Bundesliga matches in his three seasons in Germany.
A 90th-minute Robert Lewandowski goal sealed Bayern's unlikely win after the Bavarian giants had conceded the joint-fastest goal in Bundesliga history when Hoffenheim's Kevin Volland scored after just nine seconds. Bayern had begun the fight back when a Douglas Costa shot rocketed off the hands ofHoffenheim goalkeeper Oliver Baumann and Thomas Mueller jabbed home the rebound with his knee to equalise on 40 minutes.
The defending champions were reduced to ten men when defender Jerome Boateng was sent off for an obvious handball from the free-kick he had just conceded to earn his second booking and a red card on 72 minutes. Hoffenheim then wasted the chance for a historic first win over Bayern when Eugen Polanski blasted his penalty attempt off the post.
Munich claimed the dramatic winner when Brazil winger Costa fired in a superb cross, Mario Goetze let the ball roll and Lewandowski drilled home his shot.
"The last ten minutes were somewhat crazy, we saw one of the best Bundesliga matches in the last three years," said a relieved Guardiola, who is in the final season of his three-year Bayern contract. "I'm happy with the win and, above everything, with the performance.
"We knew it would be difficult here as Hoffenheim have always created a few problems for us in the last few years."
Boateng is now suspended for Bayern's key match at home to second-placed Bayer Leverkusen next Saturday. Having spared Bayern's blushes, Lewandowski said they showed their mettle after fighting back to deny Hoffenheim an historic first win over the Bavarian giants.
"As always, that was not an easy game against Hoffenheim," said Lewandowski. "After the penalty and red-card, we knew that we had to keep playing, we created two or three big chances and we were the better team today."
Hoffenheim coach Markus Gisdol could barely mask his bitter disappointment, but was complimentary of Bayern, who are bidding to become the first team to win four-straight Bundesliga titles this season.
"You saw the brutal individual class which Bayern have. There are players, two or three, who play with a tempo you can't really hinder," said Gisdol. "We were in the running for a win at the end and we'd have settled gladly for a draw."
Having equalled Karim Bellarabi's record for the joint fastest goal in Bundesliga history, set at the start of the 2014/15 season, Volland said his early strike was no consolation. "The disappointment outweighs everything," he said.
"We suffered a 2-1 defeat in the 90th minute, despite playing well and having had the chance to finish the job. We didn't manage to do it and we were punished. It's a bitter disappointment."