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Bayern Opens New Bundesliga Season With a Hard Earn Victory

Bayern Munich beat Wolfsburg 2-1 in Munich in the first game of the 2014/15 Bundesliga season.

In a game that came to life in the second half, Bayern did enough when it mattered to seal the three points.

The home side’s starting XI included a returning Holger Badstuber, a 17-year-old Gianluca Guadino and league debutants Juan Bernat and Robert Lewandowski. Wolfsburg also had a few new faces – Sebastian Jung, Josuha Guilavogui and Aaron Hunt all made their league debuts for the club, while Max Grün stepped in for the ill Diego Benaglio.

In typical season-opening fashion, both sides took their time to grow into the game – taking fewer risks and focusing on being in the right positions. As a result, clear-cut chances were at a premium in the opening half an hour.

Then, almost as if a tap had been turned on, Bayern’s attacking game flowed into action. Wolfsburg goalkeeper Max Grün made a number of fine saves to deny Arjen Robben and an acrobatic Robert Lewandowski. However, eight minutes before the break he was beaten. Arjen Robben got the better of Ricardo Rodriguez out wide and crossed for Thomas Müller, who was in the right place at the right time to convert past Grün. Wolfsburg’s sterling early efforts had been undone, but half time gave them the chance to regroup.

The second half burst into life as Arjen Robben doubled Bayern Munich’s advantage only two minutes after the restart.

The game stayed open and end-to-end though and it didn’t take long before Wolfsburg pegged Bayern back – Ivica Olic scoring a beautiful, dipping effort over the top of Manuel Neuer.

Lewandowski missed a chance to restore Bayern’s two-goal lead, before Wolfsburg substitute Junior Malanda missed a glorious chance to level the scores. His original effort was saved and hit the bar, but the Belgian midfielder remarkably failed to convert the rebound from a yard out.