In what will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the most resilient displays of the 2025-26 Bundesliga campaign, Bayern Munich secured a 3-2 victory over SC Freiburg at the Europa-Park Stadion. Despite trailing by two goals as late as the 71st minute, Vincent Kompany’s side demonstrated their championship credentials, scoring three unanswered goals in a chaotic final period. The victory moves the Bavarians 12 points clear at the top of the table, though the tactical narrative of the match was far more balanced than the final scoreline suggests.
Tactical Stalemate and Freiburg’s Mid-Block
The opening 45 minutes saw a heavily rotated Bayern Munich side struggling to break down Julian Schuster’s disciplined 4-4-2 mid-block. With one eye on their upcoming Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid, Kompany handed starts to several fringe players, which initially led to a lack of offensive fluidity. Freiburg exploited this lack of rhythm by congesting the central channels and forcing Bayern into wide areas where Niklas Beste and Philipp Treu performed excellently in defensive transitions. Freiburg’s defensive structure limited Bayern to just 0.84 xG in the first half, with the visitors often reduced to speculative shots from distance.
Freiburg’s offensive strategy relied heavily on the verticality of Johan Manzambi and the set-piece delivery of Beste. The hosts nearly took the lead in the 15th minute when a well-worked combination between Lucas Höler and Beste found Treu at the back post, only for the full-back to drag his effort wide. While Bayern controlled 64% of possession in the first half, their territorial dominance failed to translate into high-quality chances, as Noah Atubolu remained largely untested between the sticks for the Breisgauers.
Second Half Explosion: Manzambi and Höler Strike
The match exploded into life just 39 seconds after the restart. Johan Manzambi capitalized on a rare lapse in Leon Goretzka's positioning, driving through the heart of the Bayern midfield before unleashing a precise strike into the bottom-right corner. The goal, timed at 45:39, completely destabilized Bayern’s structural integrity. Recognizing the vulnerability, Freiburg doubled down on their high-pressing triggers, leading to a second goal in the 54th minute. A corner from Niklas Beste caused panic in the six-yard box, and while Manuel Neuer attempted to clear, the ball fell to Lucas Höler, whose shot took a significant deflection off Kim Min-Jae to nestle into the net.
At 2-0 down, Kompany was forced to abandon his rotation strategy. The introduction of Michael Olise, Aleksandar Pavlović, and Konrad Laimer in the 56th minute fundamentally altered the tactical landscape. Olise, in particular, provided the creative spark that had been missing, recording a team-high 28 passes in the final third and successfully completing 4 take-ons in just over 30 minutes of play. His ability to draw double-coverage freed up space for Tom Bischof to operate in the half-spaces, a move that would prove decisive.
The Bischof Surge and Karl’s Final Act
The comeback began in earnest in the 72nd minute. Tom Bischof, receiving a progressive pass from Olise, maneuvered into a pocket of space 20 yards out and struck a low drive into the corner to make it 2-1. This goal shifted the momentum entirely, as Bayern’s Field Tilt rose to a staggering 88% for the final twenty minutes. Freiburg, visibly tiring after an intense physical effort, retreated into a low block, effectively inviting pressure from a Bayern side that has now won 22 points from losing positions this season.
As the clock ticked into eight minutes of added time, the pressure became unsustainable for the hosts. In the 92nd minute, Tom Bischof repeated his earlier heroics, ghosting into the box to meet a Lennart Karl layoff and firing home with his weaker left foot to equalize. With the score at 2-2, Freiburg appeared content to settle for a point, but Bayern’s relentless verticality in the 90+9th minute found the breakthrough. Joshua Kimmich released Alphonso Davies down the left flank; the Canadian’s fizzed cross bypassed the Freiburg center-backs to find Lennart Karl, who tapped home from point-blank range to seal a 3-2 victory. Bayern ended the match with 2.80 total xG compared to Freiburg’s 1.82, underscoring their clinical efficiency in the dying moments of a classic Bundesliga encounter.