'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFQABAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgT/2gAIAQEAAAAAc3//xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAF/9oACAECEAAAABf/xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD/9oACAEDEAAAAA//xAAgEAACAQMEAwAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMABBIFBhEhIjNh/9oACAEBAAE/ADs23TTLxMIGctlESvqGPa/aj2Dp4jUSJm/HkwkI5Nf/xAAYEQACAwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAxIUMf/aAAgBAgEBPwC+/ZH/xAAYEQACAwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIDEv/aAAgBAwEBPwB2yyj/2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
A first half strike by Kingsley Coman helped Bayern Munich to a narrow 1-0 victory away to Hertha Berlin on a wet and snowy night.
The visitors started the game on the front foot, and got the first chance of the game when a penalty was awarded for a foul on Leroy Sane by Hertha Berlin goalkeeper Rune Jarstein.
Robert Lewandowski stepped up to take the resultant spotkick but the Hertha keeper made amends for his error with a low save to his right.
Bayern Munich, however, went ahead soon after when Thomas Muller played Kingsley Coman in and the France international's shot flew into the top corner, although it was aided massively by a deflection off Niklas Stark that confused Jarstein.
Trending
This jolted the hosts into life, with both sides creating good chances, although they failed to take them. This ensured that the Bavarians went into the break ahead.
The second half continued in the same fashion, but neither side managed to get on the scoresheet, with poor decision-making in the final third hampering both teams.
Hertha Berlin had a last-gasp chance to grab an equalizer when Mateo Guendouzi played Matheus Cunha in. The Brazilian raced through on goal, but his chipped shot sailed agonizingly wide with only Manuel Neuer to beat.
Bayern Munich ultimately held on for the victory to temporarily move 10 points clear at the summit. Here, we shall be having a rundown of five talking points from the tightly-contested fixture.
#5 Bayern Munich head off to Club World Cup in a positive mode
Winning the UEFA Champions League last August granted Bayern Munich the right to represent Europe in the FIFA Club World Cup.
They will enter the tournament at the semifinal stage, where African giants Al Ahly wait, with a place in the final on offer for the winner.
That game against the Egyptians takes place on Monday and Hansi Flick's side will jet off to Qatar full of confidence, having won their 5th consecutive fixture.
Though the win was far from convincing, the most important thing is that Bayern Munich got the job done and this victory will put them in a confident mode, ahead of their clash with Al Ahly.
#4 Hertha Berlin let down by indecisiveness in the final third
While a narrow scoreline sometimes does not tell the full story, in this case, it can be suggested that it flattered Bayern Munich.
Hertha Berlin gave as good as they got for 90 minutes, with beautiful team work and interplay seeing them carve open the visitors' defense on several occasions.
However, Hertha Berlin were let down when it mattered most, as indecisiveness and poor play in the final third cost them dearly. The best chance of the lot fell to Cunha in the final minute of regular time and despite having the right idea, the 21-year-old lacked the proper technique to execute his chipped shot.
Chances come at a premium against teams like Bayern Munich and manager Pai Dardai would be furious that his team failed to make them count.
With just one point separating Hertha Berlin from the relegation zone, garnering points is essential to the club's survival hopes.
Hertha Berlin had multiple chances to get an unlikely point against the defending champions but failed to do so. Hopefully, this wasted opportunity does not come back to haunt them.
#3 Sami Khedira makes Bundesliga return after 11 years away
Sami Khedira was an 81st-minute substitute against Bayern Munich and this marked his first appearance in the German top-flight since 2010.
The 33-year-old is one of the most accomplished players of his generation, with a glittering career at Real Madrid and Juventus having seen him win a host of trophies.
However, playing time has come at a premium in the last few years, with just 22 league appearances made in his last two-and-half years with the Bianconeri.
Having been deemed surplus to requirements in Turin, Khedira made a deadline day switch to Hertha Berlin in the winter window. He made his debut for the capital side four days later against the defending champions.
This marked his return to the Bundesliga, after leaving Stuttgart for Real Madrid in the summer of 2010.
It was, however, a largely forgettable return against Bayern Munich, with Khedira barely getting a sniff of the ball. His sole contribution came when he was booked in the final seconds of the game for dissent towards the linesman.
Nevertheless, the World Cup winner is guaranteed playing time at the Olympiastadion and he has an opportunity to write the final chapter of his career on his own terms.
#2 Atrocious playing conditions lowers quality of the game for Bayern Munich
Most of mainstream Europe has been plagued by increasing levels of snow throughout the winter and the case was no different in Berlin on Friday.
In the leadup to this clash, there were doubts over whether the game would go on, owing to the poor weather conditions. However, the game went ahead in the pouring snow, but this contributed to what was a drab first half.
Time and again, both sets of players lost their footing in critical moments, while Bayern Munich were deprived of the perfect condition to play their sleek football.
Thankfully, the second half saw a drastic improvement in the weather conditions, although the finishing still left a lot to be desired.
#1 Robert Lewandowski posts rare penalty miss
Over the last decade, Robert Lewandowski has distinguished himself as one of the greatest strikers in the history of the game.
Beyond his otherworldy finishing, the Poland international is also very deadly from the penalty spot. He came into this game having scored 58 of his attempted 63 spotkicks in his career.
This amount to a staggering 92% conversion ratio, which is much better than several world-class penalty specialists in the world.
Sporting a new hairstyle, there was little doubt that the ball was going to end up in the back of the net when the 32-year-old stepped up to take the first half penalty.
However, Jarstein produced a stunning save to deny the Bayern Munich number 9, although the poor visibility might have played a part in the penalty miss.
This was the first penalty missed by Lewandowski since January 2019, although it had no significant impact on the final scoreline.
It also meant that the Bayern Munich talisman remained on 24 goals for the season, but he is still on course to break Gerd Muller's all-time single season record of 40 goals.
