Igor de Camargo capitalized on a mistake by Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer to score as Borussia Moenchengladbach beat the Bundesliga favorites 1-0 on Sunday.
De Camargo found the net in the 62nd minute after reaching Roel Brouwers’ long ball ahead of the onrushing Neuer, who came out too late after thinking fellow new signing Jerome Boateng had the ball covered.
“It wasn’t an easy situation. It was a difficult ball,” Neuer said. “We have to stay calm. We were clearly the better team and we lost ... but there are 33 games to go.”
Photo: EPA
Neuer — Germany’s national goalkeeper — was bought by Bayern from Schalke 04 in a deal worth up to 25 million euros (US$36 million). Boateng arrived from Manchester City in another high-profile deal.
Thomas Mueller had a goal ruled out for the hosts in the 77th minute when he was adjudged to have been offside after following up Bastian Schweinsteiger’s saved effort. TV replays suggested the 21-year-old was onside.
“When you see it now, it’s clearly not offside, but that happens in football,” coach Jupp Heynckes said after his Bundesliga debut for Bayern. “We have to look at ourselves and not the referee.”
Moenchengladbach escaped relegation from the Bundesliga by winning a playoff last season.
“It’s very special to win here,” de Camargo said.
Earlier on Sunday, Sami Allagui took advantage of another goalkeeping error to score for FSV Mainz 05 in a 2-0 home win over last year’s runner-up Bayer 04 Leverkusen.
An own-goal by Oemer Toprak — when he deflected Marco Caligiuri’s cross past goalkeeper Fabian Giefer — sealed Leverkusen’s fate in the 86th minute.
A blunder from Giefer in the 32nd minute, when he mishit a simple pass across the face of goal, presenting Allagui with an open net and the Tunisia striker took full advantage.
It was the second defeat in as many weeks for Leverkusen, who were knocked out of the German Cup by Dynamo Dresden last week after giving up a 3-0 lead to lose 4-3 in extra-time.
In Munich, Neuer was presented with the player of the year trophy before the kickoff, with Germany coach Joachim Loew and manager Oliver Bierhoff watching from the stands.
The home side dominated possession in the opening half, with Moenchengladbach seemingly content to counterattack.
Neuer’s first touch was in the 18th minute when he claimed the ball from the impressive Marco Reus, before Brouwers’ covering tackle denied Mario Gomez in front of goal.
Mueller displayed fantastic technique to take down Rafinha’s long ball in the 22nd minute, with the visiting defense scrambling to avert the danger. Yet, for all the home side’s possession, they simply could not score.
Toni Kroos’ low shot was gathered at the second attempt by Marc-Andre ter Stegen in the 26th minute, Arjen Robben fired over in the 33rd minute and Kroos shot to the right five minutes later.
Juan Arango of Moenchengladbach had the best chance of the first half, shooting with his left foot, only for Neuer to push the ball out for a corner. Reus’ follow up effort was straight at the goalkeeper.
There was still time before the break for Bastian Schweinsteiger to head over and for Gomez to head straight at ter Stegen.
The Moenchengladbach goalkeeper spectacularly denied Gomez again early in the second half, before Kroos fired over and then Gomez hit the bar from Robben’s corner.
Igor de Camargo thought he had scored with a header from Arango’s free-kick in the 59th minute, but it was disallowed for a push on Schweinsteiger.
Franck Ribery was brought on a minute later, but de Camargo scored shortly afterwards following Neuer’s mistake.
“With time running out, we became a lot more anxious and then Moenchengladbach countered well,” said Heynckes, who scored 218 goals for Moenchengladbach in the 1970s. “We can’t make excuses. It was through a misunderstanding that we lost the game.”
New signing Nils Petersen — top scorer with Energie Cottbus last season — came on for the injured Boateng in the 76th minute.
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