Bayern Munich drop first points of Bundesliga season

Bayern Munich failed to collect all three points for the first time in a Bundesliga game this season. The Bavarians still enjoy a health lead at the top of the table. But Eintracht Frankfurt's resilience on Friday night might offer a structure of play as well as succour to other top flight outfits.

Pep Guardiola's Bayern Munich side dropped their first points of the Bundesliga season at Eintract Frankfurt. Reuters/Fabian Bimmer

Bayern fail to win - shock. Such has been their dominance at the start of the campaign that there's heft to the headline.

The Bavarians could only draw 0-0 on Friday night at Eintracht Frankfurt. It is hardly likely to lead to a collapse in form but their dazzling prelude to the game at the Commerzbank-Arena has heightened expectations inside and outside the team.

During the record run of 10 wins from 10 games, they had scored 33 goals and conceded four. But those statistics went by the wayside as they were held at bay by doughty defending.

Eintracht midfielder Stefan Aigner said: "We tried to give them as little space as possible. It was a great performance from us. It was only a point, but it means a lot."

Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer added: "We wanted to win, we didn't create enough chances and Frankfurt were clever."

The stalemate - the first time Bayern have failed to win a Bundesliga game since mid-May, put them eight points clear of Borussia Dortmund, who can reduce the gap to five points provided they win at Werder Bremen on Saturday afternoon.

Third placed Shalke entertain Ingolstadt while Wolfsburg, who are fourth, host sixth placed Bayern Leverkusen.

Frankfurt’s display might provide a template for other Bundesliga teams, according to Bayern skipper Philipp Lahm. "Every weekend you think to yourself: 'It can't get any more defensive'. But then another team comes along and yes, they're even more defensive," complained the former Germany captain who made his 450th appearance for the Bavarians.

"It makes creating chances far from easy but we had a few openings and in a game like that you have to take them. We've done that successfully in recent weeks, but not here."

Bayern, who take on Arsenal on Wednesday for the fourth game in Champions League Group F, are bidding to become the first team to win a fourth straight German league title.  Lahm predicts more teams will focus on containment. "I think we're more and more likely to face opponents who play very, very defensively," he added.