This season shows Bayern their limit
The Bayern players Serge Gnabry, Joshua Kimmich and Dayot Upamecano (from left to right) are dissatisfied with the game against Manchester City
Source: pa/dpa/Tom Weller
FC Bayern clearly loses the first quarter-finals of the Champions League at Manchester City. The team is too error-prone and inconsistent. It threatens to be a very bitter season – with consequences for the squad planning of the club.
Dem FC Bayern will be shown their limits this season. It threatens to be a very bitter season for the German record champions. The club needs a sporting miracle to make it into the top four teams in Europe after losing 3-0 (0-1) in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals at Manchester City – and that is what they are aiming for.
The second leg in Munich is in a week, Bayern are now absolute outsiders, they are on the verge of being eliminated. It was a very bitter Tuesday night in England for this world club.
Munich have already been eliminated from the DFB Cup, the championship is still open. A title and not participating in the semi-finals in the knockout competitions would be far too little for Bayern, a season without a title would be a disaster. That was last in 2012.
But Bayern lost in Manchester deservedly. They made mistakes that cannot be afforded at this high level in club competition. Dayot Upamecanos losing the ball before the 0:2 was a key scene. They were particularly vulnerable on crosses via Alphonso Davies’ side. After the 0:2 Bayern finally broke apart.
Hardly any chances, too little consistency
Bayern didn’t create enough chances on offense either. The plan of the new coach Thomas Tuchel to rely on the fast Serge Gnabry in the lead and to do without captain Thomas Müller in the starting XI only partially worked out. His team played decent to good in the first 60 minutes, sometimes it was an even game – but that’s not enough.
Especially not against what is probably the best team in the world at the moment. City coldly exploited Bayern’s weaknesses. In terms of effectiveness, it wasn’t a level. Munich lacks the punch at the back and front in crucial situations – that’s why they gave up this trend-setting game. Apparently, this team doesn’t have much more on it at the moment. She doesn’t have the consistency needed. And that is largely independent of their coach.
She lacks confidence and form. And sometimes also quality. Without the injured Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting, the Munich team is missing a striker. They absolutely have to improve here after this season. The club does not rule out spending up to a hundred million euros. This is urgently needed. It was wrong not to buy a top man for the storm center before the season.
Bitter for German football
There are several reasons for the modest situation in Munich. Now the squad planning of sports director Hasan Salihamidzic should be put to the test. Except for the new defense chief Matthijs de Ligt, the additions have not been convincing so far, Sadio Mané is currently only a substitute and is not in top form.
The short-term effect of Julian Nagelsmann’s change of coach to Tuchel has so far not materialized in terms of the results in the cup competitions. However, Tuchel is more than a solution for this season. He will be measured by the upcoming season – the first in which he can prepare the team for a full season and express wishes for the squad.
Bayern have one of the most expensive and – despite the lack of a top striker – the best squad in the world. At the moment they are making far too little of it compared to their “Mia-san-Mia” claim. This is also bitter for German football: the semi-finals of the Champions League are expected to be played without the participation of a Bundesliga club.
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