Nagelsmann happy to trust referee after Bayern complaints over Leipzig equaliser

Julian Nagelsmann was happy to trust the referee’s decision despite the fury of Bayern Munich’s players after RB Leipzig’s equaliser on Friday.

Marcel Halstenberg restored parity early in the second half at Red Bull Arena, cancelling out Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s opener with a scrappy close-range finish.

That goal was enough for Leipzig to claim a 1-1 draw in the first Bundesliga match of 2023 following a 68-day mid-season break – the longest the competition has been halted for during a season since the 1996-97 campaign (69 days).

However, Bayern’s players were unhappy Leipzig’s equaliser was allowed to stand, with Joshua Kimmich claiming he had been dragged down by Andre Silva in the build-up, while Leon Goretzka also had previously had a goal disallowed for Matthijs de Ligt straying offside.

Those appeals fell on deaf ears, with the VAR not deeming the referee had made a clear error, and Nagelsmann said he was satisfied enough, even though he suggested Kimmich did not go down of his own accord.

Taking home a point

#RBLFCB 1-1 pic.twitter.com/FvvQXtj5I6

— FC Bayern Munich (@FCBayernEN) January 20, 2023

He told reporters: “Kimmich won’t fall on his own, but in the end I trust the referee.”

Nagelsmann instead claimed his team must have done better to defend in the first place.

“I think we can resolve the situation more clearly beforehand, then this scene won’t happen at all,” he added.

The draw ended a 10-match winning run for Bayern in all competitions, but Nagelsmann was content enough to come away from his former club with a point.

“In the end, you have to take the result as it comes. It was a very wild game at times, but that’s normal after such a long time,” he told Sat1.

“We did many things well and many things badly. We can improve certain things. We gave away good opportunities, so the point at the end was fair.”