Toni Kroos would have enjoyed this FC Bayern trip. But that was not only due to the sporting earnings. Munich also won the 13th game in the Champions League in a row with a 2-1 win at Lokomotiv Moscow on Tuesday evening and are on the safe path to the round of 16 early on. Rather, Kroos would have been pleased that the FC Bayern entourage was in a hurry. During the night, the people of Munich quickly traveled back by plane. There was no long banquet, as it was a tradition before Corona after the Champions League games of Bayern.
Tobias Rabe
Responsible editor for Sport Online.
“That was always excruciating,” said Kroos, who left Munich in 2014 and is now playing for Real Madrid, in the podcast “Einfach mal Luppen”, which he produces with his brother Felix. There are games, “after that you don’t feel like doing that anymore. To be honest, I always found that a bit annoying. So I’m really happy with the way things are arranged here. ”It was“ priceless to get home quickly. ”But wouldn’t he have preferred a banquet? With Real he only came to a 2-2 draw in Mönchengladbach on Tuesday, Madrid only have one point on the account.
The situation for the Munich champions, however, looks rosy, even if the game in Moscow was a tough job. After the lead by Leon Goretzka (13th minute), Bayern did not use their good chances and suddenly were under pressure after Anton Mirantschuk (70th) equalized. Only the remarkable goal by Joshua Kimmich (79th) secured the three points, even if Bayern had to worry in the final phase. “It was a job win, but it was ultimately deserved,” said coach Hansi Flick on TV broadcaster Sky. “The opponent sensed his chance, but the team resisted it.”
Flick did not want to lose many words just before Bayern took off for the flight home. “Work victory, tick off – and now we’re preparing for Cologne,” he said at the press conference. He praised the “moral that, even if the opponent wins a bit the upper hand, you still have the quality to make it 2: 1”. Goalkeeper and captain Manuel Neuer say it similarly: “We always believe in ourselves, this spirit is in the team. It wasn’t that easy away here, but we didn’t let up. We had to work and we fought for the result. “
Fittingly, this time the focus was not on super goalscorer Robert Lewandowski. The Pole had a tough time against the robust defense of the Russians. Lewandowski had his best action when he dribbled into the penalty area by Lok and was fouled. He was even ready to take the penalty when the video assistant looked closely and discovered an offside position in advance. Instead of a penalty for Bayern there was a free kick for Moscow. The work that Lewandowski couldn’t crown with a goal was done by two from the engine room of the game: Goretzka and Kimmich.
Goretzka kept pushing from midfield into the top and kept the Lok defense busy. His leading goal was a prime example. After Corentin Tolisso had shifted to the side, Goretzka ran into the penalty area to head Benjamin Pavard’s volley flank at the first post. The fact that he had to be replaced at half time with calf problems hurt the Munich game. Coach Flick is not afraid of a longer absence: “I don’t think it’s a worse injury.” The change was more of a precautionary measure.
Thomas Müller was also only on duty in Moscow for 45 minutes. He was struggling with muscular problems even before the game and was allowed to heal after the break. Kimmich, meanwhile, played through and provided the winning goal with a stroke of genius in conjunction with Javi Martinez, who was exchanged for Goretzka. He skilfully accepted the hard pass of the Spaniard with his left hand, turned 180 degrees and heaved the ball with his right hand exactly into the lower left corner of the goal. The precision was reminiscent of the winning goal in the Bundesliga in Dortmund in the summer when a lob fell into the goal.
“We knew that it would be uncomfortable today,” said Kimmich, who after an emotional duel with Moscow striker Ze Luis built himself up in front of his provocative opponent and gave the signal that the Munich team did not want to put up with the rebellious outsider. “We also made it difficult for ourselves. We allowed the scoring chances to be far too easy. ”That also applied to Kimmich, who shot at the opponent from four meters with one chance. “That looked stupid,” said Kimmich. “In the end we still win it, that speaks for our quality. But we were lucky in a few situations. You have to say that it was absolutely not our best game. “
Flick was also aware of the danger that his midfield headquarters radiated. “Sure, I’m happy that our midfielders are dangerous,” said Flick after “the two goals of our sixes” about the special strength of Bayern. Now next week it goes to Salzburg with the optimal yield of six points. In any case, Munich will be on the move until the next international break in mid-November. On Saturday it’s off to Cologne, after the Salzburg game for the Bundesliga classic in Dortmund. There will also be no banquet, which with this tight Corona schedule might not only please Toni Kroos, but also some current Bayern players.
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