FC Bayern received a bitter defeat against VfL Bochum. They had to play outnumbered for a long time. The Munichers did not want to accept this as an excuse.
It was a bitter afternoon, but without serious consequences for FC Bayern: On Saturday afternoon, the German record champion against VfL Bochum set a 2: 3 defeat. The Munich -based Munich team took the lead early in the starting eleven in the starting eleven by a double pack from Raphaël Guerreiro (14th and 18th minute).
But the connection goal followed a red card against João Palhinha (42nd) and outnumbered the mischief for Bavaria. Happiness for the Munich team: Since Leverkusen surprisingly lost to SV Werder Bremen with 0: 2, the eleven of coach Vincent Kompany will remain the eight points ahead in the table.
Nevertheless: Happy with their performance, Bayern did not present themselves after the final whistle. They also did not want to count the dismissal as an excuse. “Just because you are tenth, it does not automatically mean that you inevitably have to do goals,” criticized Thomas Müller, who led the team to the field in the absence of the injured Manuel Neuer as captain.
Sports board member Max Eberl also described the red card as a reason as “too simple”. “We tried it in the second half, but we didn’t run for one man anymore,” he said. “Then in total Bochum was more this man, does the two goals and we leave the square here as a loser. This is very annoying,” continued the 51-year-old.
The red card, in which Palhinha first played the ball before he hit his opponent above the ankle, did not want to question any of the Bayern managers. “I was at the referee right now and he actually explained it quite plausibly,” said Eberl.
According to the referee, Palhinha went into the duel with the conscious risk of being able to hit his opponent. That’s why he decided on red. “If you give yellow, the VAR (video evidence, editor’s note) would not have started. In the same way, it did not get in with red,” said Eberl’s judgment about the situation. “The referee decided that he decided and he decided it that way,” said Eberl.
The 51-year-old Eberl therefore made Palhinha a little duty. “You should avoid to fly into such duels in such a way that the referee has the chance to give red,” said Eberl, but then to criticize the rest of the team: “If we are one less, then we have to run for one more.”
Were the numerous rotations in the starting eleven the reason for the defeat? “I don’t think the game went,” Starstürmer Harry Kane replied to a question. “We started well and we always talk about the fact that we need the whole squad,” continued the striker. Of course there will be discussions about the changes now, “but I think that was not the reason,” said Kane. The team simply made mistakes in too many moments for which they were punished. “No matter which team you play in this league against, you can always be beaten. And that has been shown today.”