Bayern Munich has set a statement in the Champions League against Bayer Leverkusen and the quarter -finals are firmly at a glance – also because the defensive tactics of Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso fully backfire.
The Munichers won 3-0 (1-0) in the local arena on Wednesday evening. Harry Kane scored in the 9th and 75th minute, in between Jamal Musiala (54th) was successful. At Bayer, Nordi saw Mukiele yellow-red in the 62nd minute and is therefore missing in the second leg on March 11 in Leverkusen.
Kane raves, Xhaka is served
Afterwards Kane praised Bayern’s appearance: “In contrast to the last duels, we were totally focused this time, it was a good step in the right direction, half of the job is done.” Musiala said: “Our freshness and our intensity made the difference. We took a big step, but we are not yet finished with the fishing.”
Granit Xhaka also hopes that, but Bersoners convinces Granit Xhaka in his words: “We were good in the game despite the deficit. Then we get a stupid yellow -red card and goals, which of course were avoidable. But we have to believe in it until the end – and then see what it is enough for.”
Since Xabi Alonso Bayer coaches, it was the first bankruptcy for Leverkusen in the seventh competitive game between these two teams – on which the trainer was not blatant.
Leverkusen again without Boniface and chic
Because as with the 0-0 last in the league summit, Bayer again did not offer a classic center forward. Victor Boniface and Patrik Schick were sitting on the bench, eight (!) Skilled defensive players plus goalkeeper stood in Alonso’s starting eleven.
The wall tact, which was aimed at a counterattack, surprised in that Bayern had in the truest sense on February 15 and had only been a final player. At the time, the historical minus value of 0.14 was at the expected goals on the Munich side – the record champion did not want to experience this embarrassment. From the beginning, Munich put pressure on and developed opportunities.
Hermoso saves for Kovar – but only once
Mario Hermoso blocked a header by Leon Goretzka in the 7th minute with his thigh just before the goal line, Leverkusen’s keeper Matek Kovar was already beaten. Shortly afterwards, nobody saved Lukáš Hrádecký for the Czech, which Xabi Alonso surprisingly prefers to take on Kane, who, in contrast to Bayer defender Nordi Mukiele, made the crucial step towards the ball – Kovar stretched.
A serious mistake by Dayot Upamecano would have brought Leverkusen back directly into the game. The central defender, who had already hit Celtic in the KO games, played a much too short back pass involuntarily in the course of Jeremy Frimpong – but he did not bring the ball past the brilliantly reacting manuel Neuer.
Musiala heads to the crossbar
Instead of drawing courage from this scene, Leverkusen pulled back. When Kovar was disoriented by his five -meter room in the 22nd minute, Jamal Musiala almost added the 2-0, but his loft ball clapped on the crossbar from a short distance. Bayer did not get peace and quiet, due to the lack of alluding stations in the front area, there was hardly any relief. Kingsley Coman and Joshua Kimmich would have exploited this with dangerous spacer shots that it was only 0: 1 during the break, from Leverkusen was the best news.
Despite the largely one -sided course of the game, no single chance, a Florian Wirtz, which Kimmich was completely devoted from Kimmich, and 3: 9 goal shots changed Xabi Alonso to the break: nothing. Although Leverkusen tried to get longer ball -possessed charms, but continued to develop zero.
Musiala uses goalkeeper errors – new ones are injured in cheering
If it was intended to somehow save a 0: 1 into the second leg, it was a waste after the next goalkeeper error: Kovar wanted to pick a Kimmich flank out of the air with both hands, but let the ball flood through – Musiala reacted more as the completely perplexed hermin and pushed the ball into the empty goal.
Leverkusen’s goalkeeper Matej Kovar drops the ball through his hands
Almost in parallel, there was also excitement around the goalkeeper on the other side. Neuer had suffered an injury to his left leg when he cheers the Musiala hit when he wanted to sprint to his colleagues. He took off his gloves and signaled inability to work: 21-year-old Jonas Urbig, committed to Cologne for seven million euros during the winter break and previously trained at FC for 13 years, celebrated his debut in the Bavaria goal.
Mukiele and Tapsoba weaken their team
Before he was able to show his great talent for the first time, the Leverkuseners continued to weaken themselves. Instead of showing a reaction after Kovar’s breakdown, Mukiele stepped into the Achilles tendon on the sidelines and flew off the square with yellow-red (62.).
Ten minutes later, the recently substitute Edmond Tapsoba clung to a corner kick with both arms from behind that referee Michael Oliver remained no other choice than pointed to the point: Kane also converted his 30th mandatory game elf into a row.
3:17 goal shots and a Coaching
After that, it could have been worse for Leverkusen, but Joao Palinha missed the chance to 4: 0 after the end of Musiala shortly before the end. The statistics in the end this time was a slap in the face for Bayer: 3:17 goal shots from their point of view, less than 40 percent possession of the ball, Neuer was only checked once, Urbig was not at all.
Alonso answered whether it was also due to the trainer tactics: “Maybe it can be. But we don’t lose because we play without a center forward, but because we made mistakes and didn’t play an adult enough.”