Bundesliga: Bayern Munich held to frustrating goalless draw by Hertha Berlin, Werder Bremen win against Hamburg

Berlin: Robert Lewandowski and Jupp Heynckes both missed out on records as runaway Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich were held to a frustrating goalless draw at home by Hertha Berlin on Saturday. Despite the disappointing result, Bayern moved 20 points clear in the table as second-placed Borussia Dortmund host Augsburg on Monday. After thrashing 10-man Besiktas 5-0 at home in the last 16, first-leg, of the Champions League on Tuesday, Hertha made off-key Bayern work for their point. [caption id=“attachment_4365703” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski reacts after missing a chance to score. Reuters[/caption] It was the first time Bayern have failed to score at home in the Bundesliga since May 2015. Their run of 14 straight wins in all competitions came to an end and it is only the second time they have dropped league points this season at the Allianz Arena. “We can live with the point, I cannot blame my team at all,” said Heynckes. “We had a good attitude. “We were very involved and, especially in the first half, created some good chances, but it was hard against a team who defended cleverly. “We wasted a lot of chances, which is unusual, but you have days like these.” It was Bayern’s first league draw since October — a 2-2 against Hertha in Berlin — which also followed a Champions League game, their 3-0 defeat at Paris Saint-Germain which cost Carlo Ancelotti his job as head coach. Despite nearly four times as many chances — 19 shots on goal to Hertha’s five — Bayern could not break through. Lewandowski, making his 250th Bundesliga appearance, missed the out-right record of scoring in 12 consecutive home league games. He now shares the league record of 11 with Bayern legends Gerd Mueller and current head coach Heynckes. The 72-year-old Heynckes also missed the chance to become the first Bayern coach to claim 15 straight wins in all competitions. Lewandowski, who accounted alone for 10 of Bayern’s chances, was thwarted by Hertha’s goalkeeper Rune Jarstein and the Berlin defence, who ensured he did not add to his 29 goals in all competitions. Coman injury worry “We did everything very well and made the spaces tight. Hertha Berlin were an unpleasant opponent,” said Berlin coach Pal Dardai with pride. Kingsley Coman played the last ten minutes with an ankle injury after picking up a knock after Bayern had used up their three replacements. “He went over, but the ligaments are stable,” said Heynckes. “It was, of course, an additional handicap for us, but our doctor says that it’s not a particularly bad injury in his view.” Third-placed Eintracht Frankfurt missed the chance to go second with a 1-0 defeat at resurgent VfB Stuttgart. Winger Erik Thommy scored his first goal for Stuttgart after only 13 minutes to lift his team to 12th — seven points from the relegation places. It was Stuttgart’s third straight win under new coach Tayfun Korkut. Own goal settles derby Werder Bremen boosted their survival hopes as a dramatic own goal sealed their 1-0 home win against arch-rivals Hamburg. Bremen had the better chances and when Aron Johannsson’s shot was blocked, it rolled over the goal line in the 86th minute with a nudge from Hamburg’s Dutch defender Rick van Drongelen under pressure from Bremen’s Ishak Belfodil. The result leaves Bremen 14th, two points from the relegation spots, and leaves second from bottom Hamburg deep in the relegation mire. Earlier, ex-Bayern striker Nils Petersen celebrated extending his contract until June 2019 with a second-half penalty as Freiburg earned a point in a 1-1 draw at Hoffenheim. Andrej Kramaric scored his fifth goal in four games, smashing home a free-kick to give Hoffenheim the lead, but Freiburg fought back. When Hoffenheim captain Kevin Vogt brought down Petersen, the striker stepped up to convert the penalty for his 12th goal of the season. Petersen has scored 10 goals in as many games and is the best German goal-scorer in the Bundesliga. It was another blunder from Vogt, whose poor pass last Saturday was snapped up by Breel Embolo to score the winner in their 2-1 defeat at Schalke. Borussia Moenchengladbach scored their first goal in five games when World Cup winner Christoph Kramer netted with a second-half volley in their 1-0 win at Hanover. The result breaks Gladbach’s run of four straight defeats to leave them seventh. RB Leipzig can jump from fifth to second if they beat bottom side Cologne at the Red Bull Arena on Sunday.