Despite contrasting starts to the season, recent history has been firmly on Gladbach’s side, with the Foals unbeaten here against Bayern since March 2019.
Determined to leave that streak in tatters, Bayern enjoyed the lion’s share of possession and territory, but they struggled to create meaningful openings from their patient build-up.
It took the home side just one foray forward to go the closest of either side yet, as Arne Friedrich headed Alassane Plea’s free-kick against the bar, and they went one better just minutes later.
That chance had shown Gladbach how important set pieces could be in this game, and they took full advantage of the next one.
Maximilian Wober rose to flick on Plea’s corner to the back post, where Ko Itakura was waiting to loop his header into the far corner.
Sven Ulreich continued to be tested in the immediate aftermath, but his opposite number was to thank for it remaining 1-0 at the break. Leroy Sane’s first touch took him past Wober, and his strike thundered off the bar via the fingertips of Moritz Nicolas.
With Bayern only failing to score in one of the previous 117 Bundesliga games, Gladbach fans had to temper any hopes of holding on until the final whistle.
Some fine saves from Nicolas - coupled with a goal-line clearance by Itakura - kept their opponents at bay, but Bayern eventually got their long-awaited equaliser. Joshua Kimmich played Sane through, who poked past Nicolas with nonchalance.
Undeterred by the goal, Nicolas continued in stunning form, his saves including a spectacular reflex stop from Serge Gnabry’s close-range header.
However, if there is any side that can produce late heroics in the Bundesliga, it’s Bayern Munich. Kimmich’s corner looped into the melee in the Gladbach box, where substitute Mathys Tel was waiting to head in, dealing a cruel blow to a side that had worked so hard to keep on level terms.
Bayern ended their five-match streak without a win at this stadium, while the disappointment was clear to see on the face of Gerardo Seoane, although his side may well have found themselves a new number one in the process.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Moritz Nicolas (Borussia Monchengladbach)
