体坛英语新闻：News Analysis: Bayern leaders lose control against Manchester City

BERLIN, Nov. 25 (Xinhua) -- Bayern coach Pep Guardiola does not need to take a look at the statistics of the game's "black box" after Bayern Munich unexpectedly lost its first game of this season's Champions League Group E campaign.

Of all people it was two of Bayern's key players that lost them a game that they seemed to have under control. Mistakes by Xabi Alonso and Jerome Boateng in the dying minutes handed Manchester City a victory they scarcely deserved.

Even after their 3-2 loss (1-2) against the English Premier League champions, Bayern will stay top of the table with 12 points and 13-4 goals. They will however be looking for answers for the black out at the end of the 90 minutes.

Up until the 84th minutes it was a case of well done Bayern! Not a performance for football's history books but a solid and effective performance. After the 90th minute the questions were, did the king of midfield Alonso really do what he did and was Boateng a loanee from a Sunday league side?

No - Alonso really did what he did and it came after being one of Bayern's best until that fatal moment. It was the same Boateng that went a long way to help Germany win the 2014 World Cup. Even one of the world's best defenders can blunder. The best tactical systems, even ones thought up by brilliant coaches like Guardiola, are is powerless. Bayern lost its first game after 18 without being beaten.

First Bayern had to change their system after Medhi Benatia was given a straight red in the 20th minute. Bayern with 10 men gained control again after Xabi Alonso's equalizer (41st) and had most of the possession. Robert Lewandowski's strike to put the Bavarians 2-1 up shortly before halftime seemed to have wrapped up the game to all intents and purposes as Manchester were posing little threat, that is until just before the final whistle.

But Bayern lost concentration in the last quarter and the game was decided by three big individual mistakes. First there was Benatia's foul which in the end was not the reason for the defeat. Secondly there was Xabi Alonso's wayward pass (85th) and the Jerome Boateng's weak header (90th). How did it happen? Was it just a case of momentary lapses? In the end Bayern still had over 55 percent of the ball but seemed to get tired after ten had to run for eleven.

What might surprise Guardiola and Bayern's Director of Football Matthias Sammer are the mistakes made by such seasoned professionals as Boateng and Alonso. The game was not the present he was asking for at his 33rd birthday. Five minutes before the end of the game and not many would have bet on Man City to come back like they did. After a long unbeaten record of games, Bayern may well have been a little too complacent.

As Bayern started with a four-man defensive line-up (Juan Bernat, Medhi Benatia, Jerome Boateng, Rafinha), Pierre-Emile Hoejbjerg, Xabi Alonso and Sebastian Rode made up the midfield chain of three, Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery attacked down the right and left flanks and then there was Robert Lewandowski in the spearhead. Bayern's plans to control the game worked well until the red card for Benatia after the Moroccan defender fouled Sergio Aguero in the box.

Thomas Mueller, Mario Goetze and Bastian Schweinsteiger were left on Bayern's bench by Guardiola. Schweinsteiger replaced Ribery for the last minutes as the French dribbler was tired after running his feet off.

The Spaniard had to change his strategy after Benatia was sent off. Guardiola sent on Brazilian defender Dante (who was too slow for Auguero) and Rode had to depart. After scoring from the penalty spot Man City temporarily took control but it didn't last long as Bayern hit back.

Manchester City were not able to take advantage of playing with the extra man and didn't look like pegging the German champions back. Bayern closed down the space in space in midfield and immediately in front of its defense. Bayern's ball possession however declined as they tired and Robben and Ribery had to do hard work tracking back and therefore could not fully support Bayern going forward.

Losing it first game of the season is nothing Bayern will be proud of but the 3-2 loss in Manchester is far being catastrophic as they are already qualified for the knock-out stage. But they missed the chance to be the first German team to win all six group matches. Maybe Pep Guardiola will take advantage of the defeat as it could be a painful reminder for his players not to cook things on far too low temperature.