Thomas Müller’s TV interview shows Bayern’s helplessness

Analysis

After Aus in Champions League
Thomas Müller’s remarkable TV interview: It stands for Bayern’s overconfidence (and even more)

04/13/2022, 1:58 p.m

3 min reading time

There he stood and gave an image that did not fit the great footballer Thomas Müller at all: The national player had just been eliminated after an agonizing 94 minutes with the glorious FC Bayern against the small town club FC Villarreal in the quarter-finals of the Champions League (0 :1, 1:1) and bravely tried to answer the questions of Amazon reporter Annika Zimmermann. Basically there was only one: How could this happen?

The obviously hurt Müller struggled to stay composed and to formulate an explanation for what had happened earlier on the lawn of the Allianz Arena. He said, for example, that the result was “extremely bitter”. But he also said: “We played a committed game, played a good game.” He admitted that he had to accept the accusation that he didn’t take advantage of his chances in the second half. Then the otherwise eloquent Müller ran out of words: “I don’t know exactly what to say about accepting the defeat.”

More helplessness is hardly possible. It shows that immediately after the game the Bayern pro didn’t understand (or didn’t want to understand) why Bayern lost to Villarreal. Because the Munich team didn’t show a “good game”. At least they weren’t good enough to reverse the 1-0 deficit from the first leg.

The renewed failure in the quarter-finals against a blatant outsider has solid reasons.

1. Bayern underestimated the opponent

After the draw for the quarter-finals, everyone in charge at Bayern dutifully said what one says when faced with a supposedly small opponent: that the Spaniards are taken very seriously. Sports director Hasan Salihamidzic spoke of a “good team”, Thomas Müller of a “tough lot”. But in the environment as well as in the media, another topic was quickly just as important: that you will probably meet Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool FC in the semifinals. Coach Julian Nagelsmann expressly warned against these mind games: “I don’t think it’s right to continue painting the path.”

His warning apparently fizzled out.

In the first leg, Bayern showed a very poor performance and were lucky that they didn’t lose by more than 0:1. For the second leg, the myth of “Mia san Mia” was invoked, Manuel Neuer chimed in: “We’re not to be trifled with.” But sayings alone are useless. You don’t take down a team as clever and confident as Villarreal in passing, and a grim, determined expression entering the stadium doesn’t automatically make you better. In retrospect it is quite obvious that Bayern (subconsciously) underestimated their opponents, especially in the first leg. Villarreal played extremely disciplined, was ball and pass safe and tactically variable, especially in the first leg.

2. The offensive stutters and is unimaginative

Before the second leg against Villarreal, the specialist magazine “kicker” analyzed in detail that Bayern have a real offensive problem. Of the 38 goals in the second half of the season, only five were actually played. The other 33 hits resulted from standards, counterattacks, opponent mistakes, own goals and individual actions. This is certainly a very strict standard, but it confirms the impression from the games against the Spaniards. Against the deep Villarreal, who made almost no mistakes, creativity and quick combination play would have been required, instead Bayern acted statically and unimaginatively. Bayern’s only goal in two games resulted from the only serious mistake made by the Spaniards: a bad pass in the build-up.

3. Bayern have a defensive problem

The Spaniards’ equalizing goal in the second leg was typical of Bayern’s weak defence. A ball loss on the offensive led to a counterattack. This was preceded by a Bayern cross into the penalty area, which cleared the Villarreal defense with a header to his own man. Müller, Goretzka and Pavard let Parejo do it, Alphonso Davies canceled the offside in his through pass to Gerad and came too late against Chukwueze. Due to the offensive orientation, Bayern are prone to counterattacks because the counter-pressing doesn’t work well. The goal against was a textbook example of this.

4. Many top performers chase their form

Leroy Sané for example. In the first half of the season he was in top form and decided games on his own, but he has been far from it for weeks. The form crisis comes at an inopportune time, because spring is the most important phase of a season, the big games are decided here like a quarter-finals in the Champions League. But Sané is not alone. Serge Gnabry has also reduced. Dayot Upamecano has been a weak point in defense throughout the season. There are also those who have come back from a long injury and are not yet back to normal like Leon Goretzka and Alphonso Davies. Thomas Müller also shows fluctuating performances. There was no sign of him in the first leg against Villarreal. The same applies to Joshua Kimmich, whose performance is highly variable. And Robert Lewandowski often lacks support in attack. Overall, Bayern have a form problem.