analysis
Four failed general rehearsals in the European Cup week: FC Bayern, Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund and Frankfurt have lost their home games on the 25th matchday in remarkable Eintracht. The coaches gambled – and the teams then turned it on. With partly fatal consequences.
It took a while for the losers to set up on Sunday before the northwest curve. Where the football players from Eintracht Frankfurt are usually celebrated after home games, Blank’s horror had hung up. When the team finally gathered after the home defeat against Union Berlin (1: 2), Hugo hit Ekitiké In front of the fans demonstratively hands in front of the face.
The fourth time was the top striker for the penalty for Eintracht, the 22-year-old failed for the third time-this time in added time at the ex-Frankfurt Frederik Rönnow. It was the right point on one “used day”as coach Dino Toppmöller complained.
The system failure in Frankfurt
Eintracht was bent against the iron like a rotten piece of wood. Where were resilience and fortificance? Properties with which the Hessian Bundesliga club had so convincingly dotted in the Europa League round of 16 in the European League round of 16 at Ajax Amsterdam (2-1).
Toppmöller puzzled after the voltage drop, which could be grasped for the 58,000 eyewitnesses in the Waldstadion. “We did not put it onto the pitch as before the break. We then made a change and brought fresh energy. Unfortunately, that didn’t work”gave the Coach to the one of which changes to the boomerang.
An example: Mario Götze, a top performer and trace of this young eleven for weeks, was initially on the bench-when the Rio world champion came, the control was already slipped. Sports board member Markus Krösche directed the return leg in Europe before the second leg League Against Amsterdam (Thursday 6.45 p.m.) a clear wake -up call to the squad picked with many perspective players: “If the second half is the standard, we have to improve in all areas. They are mistakes that we will clearly show and then have to turn off.”
The wear and tear and the nonchalance formed a fateful mixture. “We all know that we have to attribute the defeat to ourselves alone because we simply didn’t do anything in the second half”angry Keeper and captain Kevin Trapp. Many simple ball losses shaped the appearance of a team that did not make the balancing act between international highlight and everyday life at the weekend – and was not alone.
The low point in Leverkusen
Certainly no coincidence that the remaining four European Cup starters in Germany all fail. FC Bayern (2: 3 against VfL Bochum), Bayer Leverkusen (0: 2 against Werder Bremen) and Borussia Dortmund (0: 1 against FC Augsburg) had already lost unexpectedly on Saturday. These teams also did not seem 100 % focused. On a matchday, on which there was no single home win in the Bundesliga like a game round before, there was more than just the dress rehearsal for international competition.
The episodes for Master Leverkusen are the most blatant. The Werkelf has suffered a double set up due to the weeks of Florian Wirtz, who can only participate in the end of the season,. March 9th could stand for the low point of the 2024/2025 season, because without the noble technician Wirtz, the difference player is missing under the Bayer Cross.
“Nothing had worked today”complained trainer Xabi Alonso After the neck strike against improved Bremen. “As soon as I am at home, I will forget this day and this game”said the disappointed Spaniard, who for the second leg in the Champions League against FC Bayern (Tuesday 9:00 p.m.) could not discover no encouragement.
The error in Munich
The Munich team also did not collect confidence. With a B-Eve changed to ten (!) Positions, Bayern even influenced the relegation battle due to the defeat against Bochum (2: 3).
Coach Vincent Kompany had spared all regulars for the second part of the German royal class duel. The Belgian suspected that his measure would lead to discussions after the lightly playful 2-0 lead. He must “accept”.
The debate in Dortmund
Meanwhile, completely different debates are managed by Borussia Dortmund. Against Augsburg (0: 1), well -known behavior patterns were repeated under coach Niko Kovac. “The whole team is challenged on Wednesday in Lillethen against Leipzig, Mainz and Freiburg, to finally show the fighting spirit and overwhelming will to win, not just for a half as long as in the first leg against Lille, but until the referee whistles “Said Managing Director Lars Ricken the “Bild” on Monday.
Karim Adeyemi disappointed after the defeat against Augsburg
On Wednesday (6.45 p.m.), BVB will be guesting for the round of 16 of the Champions League at OSC Lille. The hands are bound by the new trainer. Kovac can “This inconsistency, which unfortunately was already there under Edin Terzic and Nuri Sahin, does not make it disappear within a few weeks.” Perhaps not to prevent one or the other with his head in the premier class, which already served as a black and yellow lifeline last season.
The excuse is sometimes too easy
In total, the Bundesliga quartet paid a high price for the challenging co-duels in the round of 16, especially since, unlike in the enlarged group phase, every error can be serious. When asked about Sportschau, Krösche said on Sunday: “This is too easy for me as an excuse. You can also rotate for that. You just have to stay in your structure.”
But indirectly, coach Toppmöller contradicted the manager a little later in the press conference when he explained very clearly how two defense supports collapsed at short notice: “It started with a bad news. Robin Koch could not play yet. We still wanted to defend from a chain of three, but then Arthur Theat was short of kick -off. So we had to change the system five minutes before kick -off.” And in the end there was a system failure that triggered the paralyzing horror in Germany’s secret football capital.