17th November, 2012
BERLIN (AFP) – Bayern Munich extended their lead to eight points clear at the top of the Bundesliga as their make-shift side drew 1-1 at ten-man Nuremberg on Saturday in the 185th Bavarian derby.
Although Bayern were missing injured star wingers Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben, coach Jupp Heynckes opted to leave Spain’s Javi Martinez and Germany defenders Philipp Lahm and Holger Badstuber on the bench.
With Bayern facing a crucial Champions League clash at Valencia on Tuesday, Heynckes was obviously thinking ahead to Europe and accepted the draw.
“We can live with 1-1, I think it’s not the end of the world,” he said.
“We started well and dominated, but failed to get the second or third goal.
“In the second-half we experienced a very different Nuremberg, one which was committed to playing forward more.
“Because of the second-half, we have to accept only taking a point.”
Bayern needed just three minutes to take the lead as Croatia striker Mandzukic pounced on a Toni Kroos pass and tapped home from close range.
Nuremberg got back on level terms when ex-Munich midfielder Markus Feulner, who spent six years at Bayern as a youth player, smashed in his long-range shot on 46 minutes to level.
The hosts were reduced to 10 men when midfielder Timo Gebhart was shown a second yellow card for elbowing Germany star Bastian Schweinsteiger in the face with 14 minutes left.
But Nuremberg hung on to claim a point which moved them up to 14th in the league.