Bayern Munich mount stunning recovery for dramatic late victory over Freiburg

Following a crushing 6-2 loss in the earlier matchup, Freiburg aimed to put up a stronger fight against the dominant league frontrunners.

Just 15 minutes in, they nearly took the lead when Jan-Niklas Beste laid off for Philipp Treu, whose first-time shot disappointingly sailed wide.

The home side quickly tested Manuel Neuer, with the goalkeeper batting away Lucas Holer's volley from close range and then denying Philipp Lienhart's header, though both efforts came from offside spots.

As the first half drew near, Bayern found it hard to create genuine openings, aligning with Freiburg's impressive record of allowing only five goals in home first halves this campaign.

Yet, before the break, the away team hinted at their danger with Lennart Karl firing a low shot at Noah Atubolu, then mishandling a rebound to sky it over from near the goal.

Serge Gnabry followed with a long-range effort that just missed, leaving the score tied at the interval.

That balance held only briefly after the restart, as Johan Manzambi curled a superb strike from afar past the stationary Neuer to give Freiburg the edge.

Bayern remained unbeaten in Bundesliga matches where they fell behind first this season (five wins, three draws), but they escaped further trouble when Holer squandered two prime chances, firing over from inside the area and then grazing the upright.

Replacement Michael Olise fluffed a close-range attempt, sparing Freiburg, who capitalised by extending their advantage with 19 minutes left.

A poor clearance by Neuer on a corner allowed Holer to slot in the rebound with ease.

Bayern pressed for a fightback, and Tom Bischof proved crucial, reducing the gap with a powerful shot beyond Atubolu in the 81st minute, then equalising in added time with another strong hit.

Astonishingly, Bayern grabbed the winner in the 99th minute through Karl, who finished from the back post to thrill the visiting supporters.

This result keeps Bayern firmly at the summit, one strike shy of surpassing their 1971-72 mark of 101 goals in a German top-division season.

Vincent Kompany's team now prepares for the UEFA Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid later this week.

Freiburg, meanwhile, shifts focus to their UEFA Europa League clash with RC Celta de Vigo, holding eighth place in the Bundesliga under Julian Schuster.