Harry Kane shines, but Bayern continues to disappoint

Bayern Munich was held to a 2-2 draw by Hamburg at Volksparkstadion, resulting in their second straight Bundesliga points dropped and halting their nine-match winning run against this rival, opening an opportunity for Dortmund to catch up.

Bayern Munich once again dropped points in the Bundesliga after a 2-2 draw at Hamburg's Volksparkstadion, ending their streak of nine consecutive victories against this opponent in direct encounters.

Although they just finished the league phase of the Champions League with a win over PSV Eindhoven, Bayern returned to domestic competition under pressure to respond following an unexpected defeat to Augsburg last weekend – a match that ended their unbeaten record in the Bundesliga. For that reason, coach Vincent Kompany’s team started with determination, constantly creating dangerous situations. Michael Olise and Lennart Karl forced goalkeeper Daniel Heuer Fernandes into impressive saves, before Joshua Kimmich nearly opened the scoring with a long-range shot that hit the crossbar.

However, while dominating the game, Bayern got themselves into trouble. Kimmich made a mistake inside the box and then fouled Nicolai Remberg, gifting Hamburg a penalty. Fabio Vieira calmly converted it, beating Manuel Neuer to put the home side ahead and rekindle hopes of a first win over Bayern since 2009. Yet, Hamburg’s joy was short-lived: Harry Kane quickly equalized at 1-1 with a close-range finish, marking his 22nd Bundesliga goal this season from a low cross that Kimmich touched perfectly into his path.

Unsatisfied with the state of play, Kompany brought Luis Diaz on early in the second half, and the substitution paid off immediately. Less than a minute after the break, the former Liverpool player received a precise through ball from Olise and calmly finished to give Bayern the lead for the first time.

But Hamburg demonstrated remarkable resilience. Luka Vuskovic powered a header from a quality cross by William Mikelbrencis to level the score at 2-2, securing a valuable point. Near the end, Vieira nearly became the hero by shooting towards an almost empty net after Neuer rushed out, but Alphonso Davies cleared the ball off the line just in time.

With the 2-2 draw, Hamburg climbed to 13th place and can be satisfied with the result against the league leaders. Meanwhile, Bayern remains top but has opened the door for Borussia Dortmund to reduce the title gap to 9 points.