Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Bayern Munich: Score, Reaction from 2015 Bundesliga Game

Bayern Munich were held to a surprise 0-0 draw by Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga on Friday night as the defending champions' run of league victories came to an end. 

The Eagles defended for their lives as Bayern went for the winner, but the visitors were not at their best as they struggled to progress forward.

Bayern coach Pep Guardiola rotated his options for the trip to the Commerzbank Arena, choosing Rafinha, Arjen Robben and Arturo Vidal in the place of David Alaba, Thomas Muller and Thiago with one eye on Wednesday's Champions League fixture against Arsenal.

Robben made a goalscoring return in his side's win over FC Koln last Saturday and continued his rehabilitation to full fitness against Frankfurt, looking menacing on the ball without having his most impactful night. 

Bleacher Report UK congratulated Philipp Lahm for his milestone appearance on Friday night:

The Eagles' Stefan Aigner was booked after just 20 seconds of the match for a tackle on Rafinha, and it set the tone for a tough defensive display from the hosts.

Robert Lewandowski was again the centre of attention as Munich's attack looked to feed the Polish ace behind the Frankfurt defence.

Robben looked fresh and healthy as he strode forward with the ball, but Bayern struggled to penetrate the final third as the home side sat deep and defended with vigour.

DANIEL ROLAND/Getty Images

The lack of Muller and Thiago had an effect on the defending Bundesliga champions' balance, but the Eagles deserve the lion's share of the credit for spoiling Bayern's plans.

The away team had an excellent chance to take the lead through Chile superstar Vidal, but the midfielder saw his close-range header expertly tipped over the bar by Eintracht goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky.

The Bundesliga's official Twitter account highlighted how dominant Guardiola's men were in the first half without hurting their opponents:

After a goalless first half, Bayern came out of the tunnel with more intent. A rare mistake by the home defence presented Douglas Costa with a glorious chance in the opening seconds, but the Brazilian failed to score.

Lewandowski nearly scored from Robben's low cross soon after but had the ball stolen off his foot.

Guardiola wasted no time in bringing on star attacker Muller to replace Rafinha after 51 minutes, and the World Cup winner immediately reinforced the visitors' front line.

Reporter Archie Rhind-Tutt noted that Bayern looked assured to get the goal they needed in the second half:

The hosts had a brief spell of attacking intent, putting the Bayern defence under pressure, but the champions regained their shape quickly and got back on the front foot.

However, the Eagles continued to defend with expert control, and Munich remained frustrated as they met a wall of players every time they pushed forward.

Hradecky was in tremendous form, collecting everything in the air when Bayern looked to go over the top to exert further attacking pressure.

Robben continued to tease the opponents with excellent crosses, but the Dutchman failed to make the impact his reputation dictates.

Michael Probst/Associated Press

Lewandowski had an excellent chance in the closing stages to win the game—fed through by Robben's lofted pass—but as the Pole ran through on goal with just Hradecky to beat, he lashed his shot wide, fluffing his lines.

Robben looked for a foul in the box with only six minutes remaining, but the officials booked the attacker for diving as the Dutchman protested.

Bayern thought they had snatched the winner with a minute to play, but the officials ruled Lewandowski to be offside.

Michael Probst/Associated Press

Frankfurt were overjoyed to hear the final whistle after a great night's work, but Bayern failed to move through the gears in the way their fans expect in every match. The team rotation took the edge off Bayern's best form, and the hosts thoroughly deserved their point.

Infostrada Sports highlighted the significance of the result:

Post-Match Reaction

Captain Lahm bemoaned the home team's tactics on Friday night, and said their defensive mindset was difficult to counter during their goalless draw, as quoted by Tom Beck of Goal.com: "You don't think it can get more defensive, and then another opponent arrives and they are.. it's tough. I don't know what formation Eintracht Frankfurt were playing today. I think 6-3-1. It was tough."