FC Bayern handed over group victory – Thomas Müller counters question

World champion jokes

Müller counters the question of mentality: “Are we now in Dortmund?”

But only second place: FC Bayern loses its last preliminary round game and gives the group victory. Was it due to the setting?

Against Benfica, FC Bayern had to give up 0-1 in the last group game of the club World Cup. The Portuguese record champion thus secured first place in Group C in front of the Munich. The Bavarians looked unusually agile in the first half.

A matter of mentality? Thomas Müller reacted to this question of a reporter with a relaxed saying. “Are we now in Dortmund? Do we already have mental problems?” Asked the 35-year-old slightly incredulously. Müller referred to a legendary Sky interview by the former Dortmund Marco Reus, who was also asked about the team’s mentality after a game in 2019. Reus’ reaction: “Oh, that goes on my eggs – with you. That with your mentality shit! Honestly, man.”

For Müller, the weak first half against Benfica was not a question of attitudes: According to Müller, it is “full of track about our mentality”.

Trainer Vincent Kompany had changed his starting eleven before kick -off to seven positions – a tribute to the extreme afternoon heat in Charlotte. Players like Joshua Kimmich, Harry Kane and Michael Olise were only used in the second half and brought more swing into play. However, the Bundesliga club no longer scored a goal.

Despite the defeat, Bayern go to the round of 16 with confidence. The Brazilian top team Flamengo is waiting there on Sunday in Miami. Manuel Neuer said he was “very positive” looking at the further course of the tournament. If you continue playing like after the break, it can be a “very good tournament”. Müller recalled the laborious round of 16 against Algeria in 2014 and emphasized that there were moments at every tournament “where it gets tight and not everything runs optimally”.

Company defended his rotation with a view to the burden: The decisions were “very logical” to avoid that “the players are all dead because they played here in the heat for 90 minutes”. The goal is clear: “Create the best possible prerequisites for the next game” – and win the tournament in the end.