Nagelsmann slams Bayern's first-half display

SALZBURG • Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann criticised his side's first-half performance as French winger Kingsley Coman spared the team's blushes with a late equaliser in the 1-1 draw away to Red Bull Salzburg in the Champions League last-16, first leg on Wednesday.

Coman prodded the ball in at the far post in the last minute of normal time to cancel out Chukwubuike Adamu's first-half opener and save Bayern from a first away defeat in the competition since 2017.

"We made too many mistakes in the first half," Nagelsmann said.

"We lost a lot of balls even when we weren't under big pressure.

"The goal we conceded was actually relatively easy to defend. The finish was good, but it was avoidable. Then we did well in the second half. We took more risks with our defending and deserved to get an equaliser."

Bayern arrived in Austria looking to bounce back from their shock 4-2 loss to Bundesliga minnows Bochum on Saturday, but there were early signs of the same defensive wobbles which had plagued them at the weekend.

A mistake from Niklas Sule handed Brenden Aaronson a chance after just a few minutes, as Salzburg pressured Bayern.

The visitors also had chances, but continued to look vulnerable and Salzburg deserved their lead on 21 minutes. A soaring long ball from Mohamed Camara opened Bayern up on the counter-attack, and Adamu curled the ball in with an elegant first-time finish.

Bayern's Joshua Kimmich also lamented a lack of intensity from his side before the interval.

"We didn't do quite enough in the first half, we weren't focused enough, we didn't win the second balls and that allowed Salzburg to have dangerous opportunities on the counter," he said.

"We controlled the game better in the second half and applied more pressure and got the draw, which for me is a good result."

Bayern's patience paid off when Coman finally broke down the Austrian side's defence.

A floating cross was flicked on by Thomas Muller to Coman, who slotted the ball past Salzburg goalkeeper Philipp Kohn to avoid a second shock straight defeat for Bayern.

"It feels a bit like a defeat when you concede such a late goal, but 1-1 is a good result," said Salzburg striker Karim Adeyemi.

"We are young, hungry and full of energy and we want to irritate Bayern," he added, with an eye on the second leg in Munich on March 8.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS