The Bremen Ballermann music in the stadium catacombs only made Thomas Müller’s football hangover worse. “To put it bluntly: There was simply not enough life in it,” said the Bayern veteran, summing up the next depressing low blow in the title. The Munich series champion then quickly ended his remarks about the 0-1 embarrassment when Werder DJ Niklas Stark left the Allianz Arena grinning with a large music box and the Mallorca song “Dicht im Flieger”.
The DFB Cup is long gone. After their first home defeat of the season, Munich no longer has the championship in their own hands. And the Champions League is an unpredictable competition on a daily basis. “When you sign for a club like Bayern Munich, you sign for one hundred percent. That applies to the coach and to the players. We didn’t deliver that,” said a pissed-off Thomas Tuchel before Wednesday’s catch-up game against 1. FC Union Berlin.
Alonso-Leverkusen top favorite in the title race
Less than three weeks before the championship summit, Bayer Leverkusen is within seven points of the long-time champions. Under coach Xabi Alonso, the Rhinelanders, who were ridiculed as “Vicekusen”, have made an impressive development: the former all-winner as a player has instilled resilience and a winning mentality into the Werkself.
As has often been the case in the past, Bayer is playing along – only under Alonso, who is repeatedly referred to as Munich’s shadow coach, is this now successful. Leverkusen is the top favorite to win the cup and championship. An impressive series in Europe also awakens title dreams there.
And Tuchel’s Bayern? Every now and then they make inexplicable lapses that are unworthy of a top team. Cup knockout at third division club 1. FC Saarbrücken, 1:5 debacle in Frankfurt – and now the shock against relegation-threatened Bremen. “What does shocked mean? We just played boring football for the first 70 minutes,” complained CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen after the unsuccessful start to the second half of the season.
Bavaria “sloppy” and “inconsequential”
The fact that Tuchel constantly praises his training achievements – as he did after the short training camp in the Algarve – is even more surprising given Sunday’s carefree and unimaginative competition performance. “I’m tired of saying that we’re training well. Nobody believes that when we play like that,” the 50-year-old remarked tightly: “Trying to flip the switch after 70 minutes is against every law of performance development and competitive sport. It definitely doesn’t work that way.”
The attacking game rippled along statically, without dedication, without inspiration, without speed. Tuchel found the performance “inconsequential” and “sloppy” for a long time. The more success Alonso has with Bayer, the more intensely Tuchel has to put up with coaching comparisons.
The latter reacted extremely annoyed when he was asked about Leverkusen’s corner successes in the 3-2 win in Leipzig and his own unsuccessful variations against Bremen. There’s no point in talking about the championship, groaned Tuchel: “You have to take action.”
The trainer is challenged
Tuchel is required to take personnel and tactical measures so that the Munich team can still catch up with Leverkusen. The former PSG and Chelsea coach has been in office at FC Bayern for more than nine months. His work was not yet a style-former. “It can’t be due to the quality of the team. Especially not when we were still dreaming and talking about the Champions League final a few weeks ago. The attitude obviously changes like the weather,” criticized Dreesen clearly.
The professionals also noted this critically even after the defeat due to a goal from ex-Munich player Mitchell Weiser. “You don’t get the feeling that we know what it’s about,” said midfield boss Joshua Kimmich.
To his own frustration, he experienced the final offensive from the bench. Instead, after a long wait on the bench, Leon Goretzka, who was hardly less frustrated, was allowed to play in the midfield center.
Neuer’s appeal: accept the role and show full throttle
With a win against Union, Munich could at least close the gap on Leverkusen by four points. “We have to recognize the seriousness of the situation, that we are not at the forefront. We are the hunters right now. And that has to get into our heads,” appealed captain Manuel Neuer. “We have to make sure we win the game against Union – and then we move forward at full speed.”
There may soon be another new addition after central defender Eric Dier, who was signed from Tottenham Hotspur. Dreesen and sporting director Christoph Freund once again held out the prospect of the addition of a right-back. Kieran Trippier from Newcastle United and Nordi Mukiele from Paris Saint-Germain are considered top candidates.
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