1860 Left Ruing Missed Opportunities
Allianz Arena, November 21 - TSV 1860 München extended their unbeaten run in the 2. Bundesliga to ten matches on Sunday afternoon but were left kicking themselves after throwing away a two-goal lead in a 3-3 draw with FSV Frankfurt.
The Lions had worked themselves a 3-1 advantage early in the second half as goals from Alexander Ludwig, Stefan Bell and Benjamin Lauth had rendered Sascha Mölders' first-half opener seemingly irrelevant. However, defensive lapses allowed the visitors back into the game, Mölders second and another from Samil Cinaz ultimately preventing 1860 from closing the gap on the promotion places.
Reiner Maurer's charges started with purpose and put the visitors under pressure early on, but Frankfurt slowly began to impose themselves on the game and had the first strike on goal when Sven Müller powered a free-kick straight at Gabor Kiraly. 1860 soon threatened at the other end, Stefan Buck drawing a superb reaction save from Patric Klandt with a thumping strike from ten yards.
1860 were beginning to tighten their grip on proceedings, so it came against the run of play when FSV took the lead on 24 minutes. Antonio Rukavina's sloppy pass across the back was poorly dealt with by Buck, allowing Mölders to steal in and slot past the helpless Kiraly. The Lions' levelled things just six minutes later, and again it resulted from an error. Ludwig was the scorer, but in truth the home fans had visiting keeper Klandt to thank as he let the 26-year-old's relatively straightforward strike slip through his grasp.
The hosts subsequently re-emerged from half-time break in inspired fashion and almost went in front immediately, but Lauth's stretching finish from a Florin Lovin cross was clawed out by Klandt. The home side's attacking endeavours were however rewarded when Ludwig's driven free-kick was headed home from close range by Bell.
The momentum continued to build and 1860 added a third just three minutes later. FSV defender Gledson's horrific pass let in Lauth, who was denied at the first attempt by Klandt but had no trouble slotting in the rebound for his seventh goal of the campaign.
But FSV didn't require long to muster a response and pulled one back when Kiraly parried Samil Cinaz's long-range strike into the path of Mölders, who made no mistake in firing in his and Frankfurt's second. 1860 were still in control, but spurned two gilt-edged opportunities to extend their lead in the following minutes. Lauth was the guilty party on both occasions, first poking wide after being sent through by Ludwig, before somehow heading straight at Klandt from all of three yards out.
And so it was almost inevitable when the Lions were punished for those glaring misses, though few would have predicted FSV's revenge would come quite so soon. Björn Schlicke flicked on a cross from the right for the unmarked Cinaz, who had the simple task of shifting over the line at the far post. That set up an exciting finale with both sides pressing for the winner. Daniel Bierofka went agonisingly close for the hosts with two late free-kicks, but in the end 1860 were left ruing those earlier misses and had to make do with a point.
