It’s the top game in the Bundesliga and Bayer Leverkusen passes the test with flying colors. Bayern against it? A dismantling.
Anyone who sticks with FC Bayern will probably have been maximally disappointed and even shocked. The eagerly awaited Bundesliga top game against Bayer Leverkusen, first against second, broadcast to the whole world – and then it becomes so clear. Not for Bayern, but for Leverkusen. The clear dominance of the first, who has now extended the lead in the table to five points.
In criticism: Thomas Tuchel. After a defeat, it is of course always easy to pick the coach of a team and blame him for the defeat. But this time we have to say it very clearly: This bankruptcy is largely due to him.
Even before the game, many experts could see the surprise on their faces when it came to Bayern’s line-up. Back five? Bayern last tried before Christmas. But to change the team like that now before such an important game? “I don’t know what he was thinking,” said Sky expert Lothar Matthäus.
Min-jae Kim only returned from the Asian Cup in the middle of the week, Sacha Boey made his starting eleven debut, while the recently strong Matthijs de Ligt – like Kimmich and Guerreiro – only sat on the bench for the time being. And Thomas Müller also had to wait outside to play. The consequence: Bayern’s insecurity in the back line was particularly noticeable in the first half. Mistakes, lack of concentration – and in the end it was once again thanks to Manuel Neuer that we only went into the break with a 0-1 deficit.
Before the game, Tuchel said of the line-up: “Because we are convinced that this is the best approach, to be the team that beats Leverkusen first.” After 90 minutes it was clear: far from it. Bayern didn’t have the slightest chance throughout the entire season and were dismantled in the end. It has to be said so clearly.
For the record champions, after the 1:5 defeat against Frankfurt, the cup exit against Saarbrücken (1:2) and the bitter defeat against Bremen (0:1), it is the next defeat that really hurts. Speaking of Saarbrücken: Here too, Tuchel caused a few surprises in the starting line-up before the game, including Kane who was only on the bench for 90 minutes. The 100 million euro striker.
A wrong time
If Tuchel’s match plan against Leverkusen works, he will be the innovative coach who dares to do something. True. But it went wrong again. Before such an important game, the Bayern coach should perhaps have remembered his team’s strengths. It was probably the worst of all wrong times for such a test.
However, it should also be mentioned that the players once again didn’t show what they can do. Bayern-like? None of the many stars are showing that at the moment. That’s why Thomas Müller spoke clearly: “What I’m missing is, and that’s why I say it publicly: In training, we show much better approaches because we’re brave, because we play football freely.” And further: “I’m missing – and now we can quote our Oli Kahn – some of the players’ balls and freedom. We have such a mentality in our game, especially with the ball” (read more about that here).
Tuchel is coaching the game against Leverkusen – but the players are letting their coach down once again.
However, one thing is clear: the pressure on the 50-year-old Tuchel will continue to increase; in the end, he is responsible. Anyone who looked at the faces of those responsible for Bayern after the final whistle suspected something bad. There will be no quiet journey home to Munich.