Suffering Goretzka? Basler hits the mark

Leon Goretzka has had an unsatisfactory season. Above all, the Bayern midfielder lacks a former strength, but his performance curve is not only pointing downwards.

“Goretzka was destroyed because every time, even though Kimmich played worse, Goretzka was substituted and Kimmich was allowed to continue playing his shit!”

Pithy words from Mario Basler on Sunday in STAHLWERK double pass on SPORTS1. The 54-year-old took himself for the umpteenth time Bayern-Ass Joshua Kimmich to the chest and identified midfield colleague Leon Goretzka as suffering from the play of the busy six.

“Nine months ago, Goretzka was in outstanding form,” he added SPORTS1-Expert. “Kimmich is a really good kicker, but he doesn’t do his job, and in midfield, who plays next to him, is the poorest sow in the game because he’s only back and forth.”

In this case the eighth Goretzka, behind whom the weakest season ever in the FC Bayern jersey lies on the offensive, which is also proven by his Bundesliga performance data. The 28-year-old has been playing for the German record champions since 2018 and immediately established himself as a regular player with a high goal risk.

But it is precisely this goal threat that he recently lost. Goretzka had the fewest shots on goal in a season at Bayern in 2022/23 with 38 and, like in the previous season, only scored three times. For comparison: In his first Bayern season in 2018/19, he struck eight times with 52 shots on goal.

The German national player also had his weakest year as a preparer with Bayern, he only had two assists, the best is five. In terms of pass rate, he has also been well below that of his first three years in the last two seasons (84.3 percent compared to around 90).

The significant drop in performance in the second half of the season is noteworthy: he scored his last goal on November 6 against Werder Bremen; since then Goretzka has been goalless in 23 competitive games, including 17 Bundesliga games (1147 minutes). In addition, he has recorded just one assist in the last 17 Bundesliga games.

But defensively, Goretzka was able to improve last season: 56.7 percent of duels won is a personal best for a season in a Bayern jersey. He also intercepted more passes than ever before in 2022/23: 209 – almost twice as many as in the previous season.

Numbers that also underline Basler’s all-round attack: Since he was always busy taking on defensive tasks and having to plug holes when his good friend Kimmich turned on the offensive, Goretzka lost immensely in scoring.

In addition, there are other reasons why Goretzka didn’t really get going in 2022/23. At the beginning he was injured and had Corona, the catastrophic Winter World Cup in Qatar left its mark and the release of ex-coach Julian Nagelsmann, with whom he had a good relationship, bothered him.

In addition, the start under the new coach Thomas Tuchel was anything but promising. The last day of the game had a symbolic character when Bayern snatched the championship title from Borussia Dortmund in a dramatic season finale.

In the 2-1 win in Cologne, Goretzka was on the bench for a good 70 minutes before being substituted on, but after the home side equalized in the 85th minute, he had to give way again because Tuchel brought on two fresh offensive players and Jamal Musiala Match winner substituted.

While Goretzka took a seat on the bench in consternation and wasn’t really in the mood to celebrate even after winning the title last minute, Tuchel spoke of a “horror decision against him”, but one that spoke volumes: Goretzka lost standing under Tuchel.

The fact is undisputed: In the past season, the former dream duo Kimmich/Goretzka no longer really harmonized. Not for nothing does Tuchel want to lure a new classic midfield clearer to Munich. Hot candidate is West Ham United’s Declan Rice six.

“If Kimmich holds his position again, Bayern won’t need a new six,” claims former Bayern star Lothar Matthäus at the Bild. “He and Goretzka used to work very well, at Bayern and in the national team. It’s up to the coach to get it back on track.”

In other words, finding the balance in midfield that the German champions lost, especially in the second half of the season.