<b>Game Of My Life #02: Saved by the post</b>
The 1985/86 Bundesliga season was a rocky one for FC Bayern München, and for me as a then fourteen year old fan. <em>Die Roten</em> had been on the end of a number of strange results, but with two matches remaining found themselves just two points behind leaders Werder Bremen.<a href="#topsy-turvy-season"></a>Topsy-turvy seasonOn the penultimate match day, 22nd April 1986, fate would bring the two teams together in what would be a moment of drama that would remain lodged in my memory forever. German football was rarely seen on British television in the 1980s, and my being stuck in a boarding school in the countryside did not help; all I had was a long wave radio with a very sketchy reception.For the vast majority of expert pundits, Bayern’s topsy-turvy season was all set to come to a conclusion at the packed Weserstadion. Bremen had only dropped three points at home all season, while the Bavarians had been far from consistent on the road. In the days of two points for a win, a victory would seal the deal – and a first Bundesliga title – for Otto Rehhagel’s men.It was the ultimate make or break encounter, and the fixtures could not have been arranged any better. A win for Bayern would have pushed Udo Lattek’s side in front on goal difference, while a draw was just about enough to keep the contest open until the final week.<a href="#a-cagey-scratchy-affair"></a>A cagey, scratchy affairThe match could not have been more dramatic – though at the time I wouldn’t have known to what extent. As usual, the radio coverage was awful. In between loud bursts of noise, I was able to pick up the odd bit of commentary. I desperately played with the controls, trying to find the German voices in the hissing fuzz. The match ticked by, and I remained unsure as to what had actually happened. I had to wait until later in the evening to check the result on teletext – in the days before the internet, this is all we had until the newspapers arrived in the school library the following day.When I filled in my scrapbook and carefully scribbled in the match details, it would simply read as <em>Werder Bremen 0, Bayern München 0</em> – enough to keep Bayern in with a shout going into the final week. What I didn’t know at the time was that Werder had been awarded a penalty a minute from the end.<a href="https://miasanrot.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/12/SVWFCB1986en-650x650.png">Media</a>By the time I actually got to see any footage of the game, the season was long over. Any antipathy towards Bremen striker Rudi Völler had long been replaced by the desire to see “Tante Käthe” become a World Cup winner with West Germany in Mexico.The game itself had been a cagey, scratchy affair, which only burst into life at the end. Looking to break the deadlock, Rehhagel had thrown on Völler for midfielder Norbert Meier in the 77th minute.Völler’s arrival was a highly significant moment, both in the context of the match and the fast-developing and somewhat bitter rivalry between the two title contenders. It was his first competitive match since November the previous year – when the two teams met in Munich’s Olympiastadion. In what had been another highly-charged encounter, the Bremen striker was clattered by Bayern skipper Klaus Augenthaler in the 28th minute, consigning him to the sidelines for five months.<em>(The game in Munich was also highly memorable. Augenthaler may have been lucky to escape with the booking for his challenge on Völler, but Bayern were reduced to ten men with the score locked at 1:1 when Lothar Matthäus was dismissed. Bremen would have fancied their chances, but two goals in as many minutes in the second half from Dieter Hoeneß saw the Bavarians clinch a hard-fought 3:1 win)</em>.<a href="#tried-and-tested-marksman"></a>Tried and tested marksmanThe tousle-haired striker was far from fully fit, but it was a desperate throw of the dice from the Bremen coach who desperately wanted to avoid a final week…
The 1985/86 Bundesliga season was a rocky one for FC Bayern München, and for me as a then fourteen year old fan. <em>Die Roten</em> had been on the end of a number of strange results, but with two matches remaining found themselves just two points behind leaders Werder Bremen.<a href="#topsy-turvy-season"></a>Topsy-turvy seasonOn the penultimate match day, 22nd April 1986, fate would bring the two teams together in what would be a moment of drama that would remain lodged in my memory forever. German football was rarely seen on British television in the 1980s, and my being stuck in a boarding school in the countryside did not help; all I had was a long wave radio with a very sketchy reception.For the vast majority of expert pundits, Bayern’s topsy-turvy season was all set to come to a conclusion at the packed Weserstadion. Bremen had only dropped three points at home all season, while the Bavarians had been far from consistent on the road. In the days of two points for a win, a victory would seal the deal – and a first Bundesliga title – for Otto Rehhagel’s men.It was the ultimate make or break encounter, and the fixtures could not have been arranged any better. A win for Bayern would have pushed Udo Lattek’s side in front on goal difference, while a draw was just about enough to keep the contest open until the final week.<a href="#a-cagey-scratchy-affair"></a>A cagey, scratchy affairThe match could not have been more dramatic – though at the time I wouldn’t have known to what extent. As usual, the radio coverage was awful. In between loud bursts of noise, I was able to pick up the odd bit of commentary. I desperately played with the controls, trying to find the German voices in the hissing fuzz. The match ticked by, and I remained unsure as to what had actually happened. I had to wait until later in the evening to check the result on teletext – in the days before the internet, this is all we had until the newspapers arrived in the school library the following day.When I filled in my scrapbook and carefully scribbled in the match details, it would simply read as <em>Werder Bremen 0, Bayern München 0</em> – enough to keep Bayern in with a shout going into the final week. What I didn’t know at the time was that Werder had been awarded a penalty a minute from the end.<a href="https://miasanrot.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/12/SVWFCB1986en-650x650.png">Media</a>By the time I actually got to see any footage of the game, the season was long over. Any antipathy towards Bremen striker Rudi Völler had long been replaced by the desire to see “Tante Käthe” become a World Cup winner with West Germany in Mexico.The game itself had been a cagey, scratchy affair, which only burst into life at the end. Looking to break the deadlock, Rehhagel had thrown on Völler for midfielder Norbert Meier in the 77th minute.Völler’s arrival was a highly significant moment, both in the context of the match and the fast-developing and somewhat bitter rivalry between the two title contenders. It was his first competitive match since November the previous year – when the two teams met in Munich’s Olympiastadion. In what had been another highly-charged encounter, the Bremen striker was clattered by Bayern skipper Klaus Augenthaler in the 28th minute, consigning him to the sidelines for five months.<em>(The game in Munich was also highly memorable. Augenthaler may have been lucky to escape with the booking for his challenge on Völler, but Bayern were reduced to ten men with the score locked at 1:1 when Lothar Matthäus was dismissed. Bremen would have fancied their chances, but two goals in as many minutes in the second half from Dieter Hoeneß saw the Bavarians clinch a hard-fought 3:1 win)</em>.<a href="#tried-and-tested-marksman"></a>Tried and tested marksmanThe tousle-haired striker was far from fully fit, but it was a desperate throw of the dice from the Bremen coach who desperately wanted to avoid a final week…
<b>Game Of My Life #05: How a 2-1 home win changed my life</b>
Only three days after their devastating 5-2 defeat in the second leg of the Champions League semi-finals against Ajax Amsterdam, FC Bayern managed to redeem themselves. They achieved a 2-1 home victory against future champions Dortmund.<a href="#a-season-in-the-thrall-of-transition"></a>A season in the thrall of transitionBayern started the season as the reigning champions, having won the title in the 1993/94 season. That season cost Erich Ribbeck his job, he was released during the winter break. Shortly before the end of the season, Bayern lost 4-0 away to Kaiserslautern, almost squandering their title prospects in the process. Ultimately, 17 wins sufficed to secure Bayern the title. So Bayern started the 1994/95 season as the title holders. Before the season began, Italian star coach Giovanni Trapattoni had been installed at the club to rebuild the club’s shaky foundation for sustainable long-term sporting success. To facilitate Trapattoni’s task, new players Oliver Kahn (€2.3m from Karlsruhe), Jean-Pierre Papin (€2.75m from Milan), and Alain Sutter (€1.4m from Nuremberg) were signed. Kahn had made a name for himself as a goalkeeping talent on the rise at Karlsruhe and was considered Germany’s future in goal. Papin arrived as a highly decorated star, having won the French championship four times with Olympique Marseille as well as the Italian championship twice and the Champions League once with Milan. He was also the world’s top scorer and winner of “Europe’s footballer of the year” in 1991. A bonafide world star had come to the Isar. On the other hand, Bayern’s squad had also taken some serious hits. Raimond Aumann, Olaf Thon, Bruno Labbadia and Adolfo Valencia had left the club during the off-season. No doubt the team was a team in transition. Besides the stars, there were also lot of young talents who had to be integrated as well. <a href="#before-the-game-against-dortmund"></a>Before the game against Dortmund<a href="#champions-league-aftermath"></a>Champions League aftermathBayern had decided to put their focus for the season on the Champions League early on as their Bundesliga campaign never really flourished. They reached second place in the group stage and after a 0-0 in the first and a 2-2 in the second leg against Gothenburg in the quarter-finals, they even reached the semi-finals. There, after another 0-0 draw in the first leg, Bayern suffered a devastating 2-5 defeat in the return leg at the hands of van Gaal’s Ajax, a team replete with such future luminaries as van der Sar, de Boer, Seedorf, Litmanen, Kluivert and Davids, whose names would come to reverberate around Europe for years to come. With the loss Bayern had missed out on putting a positive spin on an otherwise disappointing season. They had no answer to the 3-4-3 system of van Gaal, but partly also brought about their own downfall through making quite a few individual mistakes before the goals themselves. And so the dream of the final in Athens lay in tatters.<a href="#problems-in-the-bundesliga"></a>Problems in the BundesligaMeanwhile in the Bundesliga, Bayern was in sixth place with six points off the top. The players did not feel comfortable with Trapattoni’s conservative tactics. The team was also hampered by a number of injuries. By the time of the confrontation with Dortmund, chief operator and midfield mainstay Matthäus had only got 16 applications, Kahn had 23. The goalkeeper was also unavailable in Amsterdam. Jean-Pierre Papin, who was meant to lead the line in attack, had only played six games. His goals were desperately missing in attack. Bayern’s dearth of goals was one of their cardinal problems throughout the 1994/95 season. They only managed to score 55 times all season, equalling 1.6 goals per game. 41 conceded goals on the other end were too many to make up for their paucity in attack.On matchday 27, the fixture list saw Bayern meet then league leaders Dortmund. Dortmund was…
Only three days after their devastating 5-2 defeat in the second leg of the Champions League semi-finals against Ajax Amsterdam, FC Bayern managed to redeem themselves. They achieved a 2-1 home victory against future champions Dortmund.<a href="#a-season-in-the-thrall-of-transition"></a>A season in the thrall of transitionBayern started the season as the reigning champions, having won the title in the 1993/94 season. That season cost Erich Ribbeck his job, he was released during the winter break. Shortly before the end of the season, Bayern lost 4-0 away to Kaiserslautern, almost squandering their title prospects in the process. Ultimately, 17 wins sufficed to secure Bayern the title. So Bayern started the 1994/95 season as the title holders. Before the season began, Italian star coach Giovanni Trapattoni had been installed at the club to rebuild the club’s shaky foundation for sustainable long-term sporting success. To facilitate Trapattoni’s task, new players Oliver Kahn (€2.3m from Karlsruhe), Jean-Pierre Papin (€2.75m from Milan), and Alain Sutter (€1.4m from Nuremberg) were signed. Kahn had made a name for himself as a goalkeeping talent on the rise at Karlsruhe and was considered Germany’s future in goal. Papin arrived as a highly decorated star, having won the French championship four times with Olympique Marseille as well as the Italian championship twice and the Champions League once with Milan. He was also the world’s top scorer and winner of “Europe’s footballer of the year” in 1991. A bonafide world star had come to the Isar. On the other hand, Bayern’s squad had also taken some serious hits. Raimond Aumann, Olaf Thon, Bruno Labbadia and Adolfo Valencia had left the club during the off-season. No doubt the team was a team in transition. Besides the stars, there were also lot of young talents who had to be integrated as well. <a href="#before-the-game-against-dortmund"></a>Before the game against Dortmund<a href="#champions-league-aftermath"></a>Champions League aftermathBayern had decided to put their focus for the season on the Champions League early on as their Bundesliga campaign never really flourished. They reached second place in the group stage and after a 0-0 in the first and a 2-2 in the second leg against Gothenburg in the quarter-finals, they even reached the semi-finals. There, after another 0-0 draw in the first leg, Bayern suffered a devastating 2-5 defeat in the return leg at the hands of van Gaal’s Ajax, a team replete with such future luminaries as van der Sar, de Boer, Seedorf, Litmanen, Kluivert and Davids, whose names would come to reverberate around Europe for years to come. With the loss Bayern had missed out on putting a positive spin on an otherwise disappointing season. They had no answer to the 3-4-3 system of van Gaal, but partly also brought about their own downfall through making quite a few individual mistakes before the goals themselves. And so the dream of the final in Athens lay in tatters.<a href="#problems-in-the-bundesliga"></a>Problems in the BundesligaMeanwhile in the Bundesliga, Bayern was in sixth place with six points off the top. The players did not feel comfortable with Trapattoni’s conservative tactics. The team was also hampered by a number of injuries. By the time of the confrontation with Dortmund, chief operator and midfield mainstay Matthäus had only got 16 applications, Kahn had 23. The goalkeeper was also unavailable in Amsterdam. Jean-Pierre Papin, who was meant to lead the line in attack, had only played six games. His goals were desperately missing in attack. Bayern’s dearth of goals was one of their cardinal problems throughout the 1994/95 season. They only managed to score 55 times all season, equalling 1.6 goals per game. 41 conceded goals on the other end were too many to make up for their paucity in attack.On matchday 27, the fixture list saw Bayern meet then league leaders Dortmund. Dortmund was…
<b>“Having a successful women’s team would suit Bayern very well”</b>
One week after the Women’s Bundesliga’s opening game of the second half of the season we talk to Sven from the terrific podcast “<a href="https://lotteserbinnen.de/">LottesErbinnen</a>” about FC Bayern’s women’s team, a preliminary assessment of their season so far, and the ambitions for the rest of the season.<strong>Bayern’s women went into the winter break sitting in third place behind VfL Wolfsburg and TSG Hoffenheim. After the first matchday of the second half, they are now level on points with Hoffenheim. How do you rate the women’s season so far?</strong>Perhaps the best way to describe it is “neither fish nor fowl”. On the one hand, new players had to be integrated and old ones replaced. In addition, with Jens Scheuer a new coach arrived before the beginning of the season. All of this, as we all know, takes time to gel. Nevertheless, the team, measured by its quality, has rarely been able to play convincingly. Too often, they missed far too many of their chances. <a href="#a-lot-of-people-actually-hoped-that-scheuer-could-take-the-team-to-the-next-level"></a>“A lot of people actually hoped that Scheuer could take the team to the next level.”<strong>Before the season Jens Scheuer joined Bayern as the women team’s new head coach coming from Freiburg. How do you assess Scheuer’s time at the helm so far? What has changed most under him compared to his predecessor Wörle?</strong> From my point of view not much has changed. And that is regrettable. Actually, many people hoped that Scheuer could take the team to the next level, which is necessary to be able to compete with Wolfsburg for the DFB-Pokal and championship. Scheuer’s predecessor Wörle was said to have no plan B. With Scheuer, I could not even recognize a plan of any description so far. Even if you rarely need a plan B as a coach of FC Bayern women. <strong>What kind of football does he play? Has he taken a noticeable step in the right direction with his team?</strong>Unfortunately, I cannot see that. I’m not a coach, I’m not a tactician and I’m not Scheuer. But in the second half of 2019 I often scratched my head in amazement seeing his tactical and personnel choices. Repeatedly, he used some of the players out of position and on top of that comes his choice to rotate in goal. Sometimes Schlüter was number 1, sometimes it was Benkarth. All in all, to me the team seemed to lack confidence. This was especially noticeable in the games against Wolfsburg. <a href="https://miasanrot.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/02/Jens_Scheuer-975x650-1.jpg">Media</a><strong>Jens Scheuer in his first season as coach of FC Bayern women.</strong>
(Image: Sven Beyrich / El Loko Photo)Apart from that I can’t see any big difference to predecessor Wörle as far as the playing style is concerned. With the combinational play skills of such players as Magull and Dallmann you should actually be able to play your way through tightly organized and deep sitting opponents. But so far I have seen too little of that. Also Bayern don’t take advantage of the qualities of their fast wingers enough for me. They could choose to get through to the byline down the flanks more often if playing through the center doesn’t work. <a href="#nationally-bayern-is-in-an-even-better-position-than-their-big-rivals-from-wolfsburg"></a><strong>“Nationally, Bayern is in an even better position than their big rivals from Wolfsburg”</strong><strong>As far as men’s football is concerned, Bayern are the undisputed leaders in Germany. How do you rate Bayern’s women squad by national and international standards?</strong>The squad has consisted almost exclusively of their respective nation’s international players in recent years. But even though Giulia Gewinn, for example, was voted the best young player at last year’s World Cup, there is still no single player in the squad that I would currently rank among the top 50 in the world. Looking at the squad on…
One week after the Women’s Bundesliga’s opening game of the second half of the season we talk to Sven from the terrific podcast “<a href="https://lotteserbinnen.de/">LottesErbinnen</a>” about FC Bayern’s women’s team, a preliminary assessment of their season so far, and the ambitions for the rest of the season.<strong>Bayern’s women went into the winter break sitting in third place behind VfL Wolfsburg and TSG Hoffenheim. After the first matchday of the second half, they are now level on points with Hoffenheim. How do you rate the women’s season so far?</strong>Perhaps the best way to describe it is “neither fish nor fowl”. On the one hand, new players had to be integrated and old ones replaced. In addition, with Jens Scheuer a new coach arrived before the beginning of the season. All of this, as we all know, takes time to gel. Nevertheless, the team, measured by its quality, has rarely been able to play convincingly. Too often, they missed far too many of their chances. <a href="#a-lot-of-people-actually-hoped-that-scheuer-could-take-the-team-to-the-next-level"></a>“A lot of people actually hoped that Scheuer could take the team to the next level.”<strong>Before the season Jens Scheuer joined Bayern as the women team’s new head coach coming from Freiburg. How do you assess Scheuer’s time at the helm so far? What has changed most under him compared to his predecessor Wörle?</strong> From my point of view not much has changed. And that is regrettable. Actually, many people hoped that Scheuer could take the team to the next level, which is necessary to be able to compete with Wolfsburg for the DFB-Pokal and championship. Scheuer’s predecessor Wörle was said to have no plan B. With Scheuer, I could not even recognize a plan of any description so far. Even if you rarely need a plan B as a coach of FC Bayern women. <strong>What kind of football does he play? Has he taken a noticeable step in the right direction with his team?</strong>Unfortunately, I cannot see that. I’m not a coach, I’m not a tactician and I’m not Scheuer. But in the second half of 2019 I often scratched my head in amazement seeing his tactical and personnel choices. Repeatedly, he used some of the players out of position and on top of that comes his choice to rotate in goal. Sometimes Schlüter was number 1, sometimes it was Benkarth. All in all, to me the team seemed to lack confidence. This was especially noticeable in the games against Wolfsburg. <a href="https://miasanrot.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/02/Jens_Scheuer-975x650-1.jpg">Media</a><strong>Jens Scheuer in his first season as coach of FC Bayern women.</strong>
(Image: Sven Beyrich / El Loko Photo)Apart from that I can’t see any big difference to predecessor Wörle as far as the playing style is concerned. With the combinational play skills of such players as Magull and Dallmann you should actually be able to play your way through tightly organized and deep sitting opponents. But so far I have seen too little of that. Also Bayern don’t take advantage of the qualities of their fast wingers enough for me. They could choose to get through to the byline down the flanks more often if playing through the center doesn’t work. <a href="#nationally-bayern-is-in-an-even-better-position-than-their-big-rivals-from-wolfsburg"></a><strong>“Nationally, Bayern is in an even better position than their big rivals from Wolfsburg”</strong><strong>As far as men’s football is concerned, Bayern are the undisputed leaders in Germany. How do you rate Bayern’s women squad by national and international standards?</strong>The squad has consisted almost exclusively of their respective nation’s international players in recent years. But even though Giulia Gewinn, for example, was voted the best young player at last year’s World Cup, there is still no single player in the squad that I would currently rank among the top 50 in the world. Looking at the squad on…
<b>DFB-Pokal Semi-final: Bayern against Frankfurt</b>
On Wednesday evening FC Bayern Munich and Eintracht Frankfurt will meet for the second time after the coronavirus break. Will it be a clear affair again?It was a clear story when Eintracht Frankfurt last played in Munich’s Allianz Arena a few days ago. Apart from a brief phase when two set piece goals in quick succession for the side from Hesse raised the hopes of the Frankfurt fans of a different outcome, Bayern played with a lot of confidence and calmness.Frankfurt’s pressing came to nothing on several occasions. For the most part, Bayern left nothing to chance during build-up play and in front of goal, and even managed to capitalize on invitations such as the one leading to Alphonso Davies’s goal. It was an all-around satisfying evening.Now the big question is what should have changed within just a few days. Frankfurt continues to bob around in the league from matchday to matchday, knowing that staying up is a mortal lock but there is little chance of an upward trend as well. On the other hand, Bayern march ahead with an ever-broadening chest. Even if they fall behind early like last weekend against Leverkusen, this hardly serves to break their stride.<a href="#a-different-game-than-last-time"></a>A different game than last time?But the calculation before the semi-final is not quite so simple. Even if Bayern are of course the clear favourites, the game will be played under completely different conditions than a few days ago in the Bundesliga.For one, there is a lot more at stake for Frankfurt. The DFB-Pokal is the last realistic chance for the Hessians to win a Europa League ticket. If they beat Bayern, another season in the Europa League is on the cards, a competition in which Frankfurt have provided a lot of joy to their fans in recent years.But there are also considerable financial aspects at play. Whether or not the club reaches the Europa League could influence their squad planning and ambitions for the short to mid-term future. This turns this semi-final almost into a final for Frankfurt. It is therefore all the more bitter for them that their key player Kostic will be unavailable.<a href="#will-thiago-make-the-first-eleven-yet"></a>Will Thiago make the first eleven yet?Frankfurt has proven several times in the past just how unpleasant they can be when they do not have to make the game. It will therefore be crucial for FC Bayern to go up a gear compared to the average Bundesliga fare. This may seem absurd at first glance, as the Bayern team have played their last opponents off the park. But cup matches tends to become even more intense – especially if there is so much at stake.Bayern will probably not make a lot of personnel changes again. Flick will not want to take any risks, but he has try to keep those who do not see much game time at the moment happy, too. Probably the only real imponderable is whether Thiago is ready to make his starting eleven comeback and whether Flick is planning to play with him in this game. Both Frankfurt and Gladbach are teams that (try to) keep up the pressure in midfield. Thiago might be a vital component in countering this pressure with his calm and composure on the ball. Next weekend, Lewandowski and Müller will be missing in the Bundesliga, sitting out their respective fifth yellow cards. Thiago should then have the chance to make the first eleven at the latest. Yet despite his enormous importance for the team, his way back to a regular first choice option will not be easy, as Goretzka has recently made significant steps forward.Goretzka and Müller are players who are associated with vertical play and many gegenpressing moments. Despite their good performance in Leverkusen, Bayern’s wingers seem to be more expendable than the two of them. Perhaps Flick chooses to shuffle his team around a bit and bring back an asymmetrical formation in which Müller is strongly indented from the right, thus strengthening the center. Then he, Thiago…
On Wednesday evening FC Bayern Munich and Eintracht Frankfurt will meet for the second time after the coronavirus break. Will it be a clear affair again?It was a clear story when Eintracht Frankfurt last played in Munich’s Allianz Arena a few days ago. Apart from a brief phase when two set piece goals in quick succession for the side from Hesse raised the hopes of the Frankfurt fans of a different outcome, Bayern played with a lot of confidence and calmness.Frankfurt’s pressing came to nothing on several occasions. For the most part, Bayern left nothing to chance during build-up play and in front of goal, and even managed to capitalize on invitations such as the one leading to Alphonso Davies’s goal. It was an all-around satisfying evening.Now the big question is what should have changed within just a few days. Frankfurt continues to bob around in the league from matchday to matchday, knowing that staying up is a mortal lock but there is little chance of an upward trend as well. On the other hand, Bayern march ahead with an ever-broadening chest. Even if they fall behind early like last weekend against Leverkusen, this hardly serves to break their stride.<a href="#a-different-game-than-last-time"></a>A different game than last time?But the calculation before the semi-final is not quite so simple. Even if Bayern are of course the clear favourites, the game will be played under completely different conditions than a few days ago in the Bundesliga.For one, there is a lot more at stake for Frankfurt. The DFB-Pokal is the last realistic chance for the Hessians to win a Europa League ticket. If they beat Bayern, another season in the Europa League is on the cards, a competition in which Frankfurt have provided a lot of joy to their fans in recent years.But there are also considerable financial aspects at play. Whether or not the club reaches the Europa League could influence their squad planning and ambitions for the short to mid-term future. This turns this semi-final almost into a final for Frankfurt. It is therefore all the more bitter for them that their key player Kostic will be unavailable.<a href="#will-thiago-make-the-first-eleven-yet"></a>Will Thiago make the first eleven yet?Frankfurt has proven several times in the past just how unpleasant they can be when they do not have to make the game. It will therefore be crucial for FC Bayern to go up a gear compared to the average Bundesliga fare. This may seem absurd at first glance, as the Bayern team have played their last opponents off the park. But cup matches tends to become even more intense – especially if there is so much at stake.Bayern will probably not make a lot of personnel changes again. Flick will not want to take any risks, but he has try to keep those who do not see much game time at the moment happy, too. Probably the only real imponderable is whether Thiago is ready to make his starting eleven comeback and whether Flick is planning to play with him in this game. Both Frankfurt and Gladbach are teams that (try to) keep up the pressure in midfield. Thiago might be a vital component in countering this pressure with his calm and composure on the ball. Next weekend, Lewandowski and Müller will be missing in the Bundesliga, sitting out their respective fifth yellow cards. Thiago should then have the chance to make the first eleven at the latest. Yet despite his enormous importance for the team, his way back to a regular first choice option will not be easy, as Goretzka has recently made significant steps forward.Goretzka and Müller are players who are associated with vertical play and many gegenpressing moments. Despite their good performance in Leverkusen, Bayern’s wingers seem to be more expendable than the two of them. Perhaps Flick chooses to shuffle his team around a bit and bring back an asymmetrical formation in which Müller is strongly indented from the right, thus strengthening the center. Then he, Thiago…
<b>Bundesliga Matchday 34 Preview: Wolfsburg against Bayern</b>
On Saturday, FC Bayern Munich will be handed the <em>Meisterschale</em> for the eighth consecutive time. The match against Wolfsburg is a dead rubber. And yet a good end to the season can be vital for a team, as the recent past has shown.There are still two games left to play for Bayern in the domestic competitions. Of the two, only the DFB-Pokal final next weekend is really important. If Bayern manages to defeat Leverkusen, Hansi Flick will have won the double within nine months of being appointed head coach.But three is reason for caution, because the match against VfL Wolfsburg will not be insignificant. On the final matchday of the Bundesliga, the focus is on morale, fitness, rhythm and an emotionally and psychologically good feeling before the crucial match next weekend. A look at the club’s recent history shows how important a good finish in the Bundesliga can be despite the title race already having been decided.In 2018, Eintracht Frankfurt won the cup. Shortly before that, Bayern lost their last home game with Jupp Heynckes at the sidelines 1-4 against an ailing VfB Stuttgart. A result that might have hurt not just because of the scoreline, but especially because of the circumstances. In 2013, on the other hand, Bayern celebrated the greatest success in their club’s history: the treble after they narrowly edged out Borussia Mönchengladbach 3-4 in a very shaky affair on the last matchday.<a href="#enough-incentives-for-a-top-performance"></a>Enough incentives for a top performanceAt that time, the Champions League final took place before the DFB-Pokal final. In the moment the <em>Henkelpott</em> was won against Borussia Dortmund at Wembley, the team seemed to lose all tension and focus within the blink of an eye. In the week that followed, Jupp Heynckes and Peter Hermann had their hands full trying to salvage the team’s body language, attitude and focus during training. The result was a very wobbly performance ending in a tight 3-2 against VfB Stuttgart in Berlin. Goal achieved, but not quite in the confident manner hoped for.Yet on the whole such examples are rather the exception than the norm in the history of FC Bayern. For this reason, and because the circumstances vary in every season, the significance of the examples mentioned should not be exaggerated. But they may serve as a timely reminder: If concentration levels drop too soon, as the examples have shown, accomplishing the ultimate goals of the season is at risk.In a season like this, where the Champions League is most likely to be played in August, everything is different anyway. But Hansi Flick and his team should not find it too difficult to motivate their team for the match against Wolfsburg. There are still a few records left to play for for the team and club.<a href="#a-high-victory-could-break-several-records"></a>A high victory could break several recordsTake the 100-goal mark, for example: Bayern have scored 96 goals in the current season so far. Only once did a team manage to break this barrier. In the 1971/72 season, Bayern scored 101 goals. It seems unlikely that Flick’s team will score five goals against the defensively quite stable VfL Wolfsburg. But under Flick, this team is capable of anything.In the case of Robert Lewandowski, who currently ranks first in the Bundesliga goal scorer ranking with 33 goals in the season, anything is possible. He is already the highest scoring foreign player in the history of the competition (having overtaken Aubameyang at 31 goals), but also the most successful scorer not named Müller in Bundesliga history. Only Dieter Müller (35 goals) and Gerd Müller (36, 38 and 40 goals) are currently still ahead of him. Particularly interesting: Wolfsburg is something like Lewandowski’s favourite opponent. The Pole has netted 20 goals in 18 Bundesliga games against the team from Lower Saxony. The average rate of 1.11 goals per game will not be enough this weekend.…
On Saturday, FC Bayern Munich will be handed the <em>Meisterschale</em> for the eighth consecutive time. The match against Wolfsburg is a dead rubber. And yet a good end to the season can be vital for a team, as the recent past has shown.There are still two games left to play for Bayern in the domestic competitions. Of the two, only the DFB-Pokal final next weekend is really important. If Bayern manages to defeat Leverkusen, Hansi Flick will have won the double within nine months of being appointed head coach.But three is reason for caution, because the match against VfL Wolfsburg will not be insignificant. On the final matchday of the Bundesliga, the focus is on morale, fitness, rhythm and an emotionally and psychologically good feeling before the crucial match next weekend. A look at the club’s recent history shows how important a good finish in the Bundesliga can be despite the title race already having been decided.In 2018, Eintracht Frankfurt won the cup. Shortly before that, Bayern lost their last home game with Jupp Heynckes at the sidelines 1-4 against an ailing VfB Stuttgart. A result that might have hurt not just because of the scoreline, but especially because of the circumstances. In 2013, on the other hand, Bayern celebrated the greatest success in their club’s history: the treble after they narrowly edged out Borussia Mönchengladbach 3-4 in a very shaky affair on the last matchday.<a href="#enough-incentives-for-a-top-performance"></a>Enough incentives for a top performanceAt that time, the Champions League final took place before the DFB-Pokal final. In the moment the <em>Henkelpott</em> was won against Borussia Dortmund at Wembley, the team seemed to lose all tension and focus within the blink of an eye. In the week that followed, Jupp Heynckes and Peter Hermann had their hands full trying to salvage the team’s body language, attitude and focus during training. The result was a very wobbly performance ending in a tight 3-2 against VfB Stuttgart in Berlin. Goal achieved, but not quite in the confident manner hoped for.Yet on the whole such examples are rather the exception than the norm in the history of FC Bayern. For this reason, and because the circumstances vary in every season, the significance of the examples mentioned should not be exaggerated. But they may serve as a timely reminder: If concentration levels drop too soon, as the examples have shown, accomplishing the ultimate goals of the season is at risk.In a season like this, where the Champions League is most likely to be played in August, everything is different anyway. But Hansi Flick and his team should not find it too difficult to motivate their team for the match against Wolfsburg. There are still a few records left to play for for the team and club.<a href="#a-high-victory-could-break-several-records"></a>A high victory could break several recordsTake the 100-goal mark, for example: Bayern have scored 96 goals in the current season so far. Only once did a team manage to break this barrier. In the 1971/72 season, Bayern scored 101 goals. It seems unlikely that Flick’s team will score five goals against the defensively quite stable VfL Wolfsburg. But under Flick, this team is capable of anything.In the case of Robert Lewandowski, who currently ranks first in the Bundesliga goal scorer ranking with 33 goals in the season, anything is possible. He is already the highest scoring foreign player in the history of the competition (having overtaken Aubameyang at 31 goals), but also the most successful scorer not named Müller in Bundesliga history. Only Dieter Müller (35 goals) and Gerd Müller (36, 38 and 40 goals) are currently still ahead of him. Particularly interesting: Wolfsburg is something like Lewandowski’s favourite opponent. The Pole has netted 20 goals in 18 Bundesliga games against the team from Lower Saxony. The average rate of 1.11 goals per game will not be enough this weekend.…
<b>Leroy Sané signs for FC Bayern – all is well that ends well?</b>
As German sports outlet <em>Sport Bild</em> <a href="https://sportbild.bild.de/bundesliga/vereine/bayern-muenchen/fc-bayern-leroy-sane-transfer-wechsel-perfekt-manchester-city-71610794.sport.html">were first to report on June 30</a>, Leroy Sané has joined FC Bayern for a supposed fee of slightly below €50m, down €70m from City’s alleged asking price of €120m before his ACL injury last summer.When I wrote a first draft of this article in late summer of last year, it was a virtual certainty to me that Leroy Sané’s transfer to FC Bayern was imminent. It was only a matter of time and I wanted to be prepared. Then his injury came and the transfer fell through at the last minute. Since then, a lot has happened. It all began with the injury, which did not only thwart his move but surely a good deal of pre-produced articles as well, then Bayern sacked their coach, and then – coronavirus struck. We live in a different world now, parameters have changed, priorities have shifted. Football clubs everywhere are fighting for financial survival, nine-figure transfers like Sané’s would probably have become last summer seem a distant memory.<a href="#leroy-sane-joins-amidst-a-changing-environment"></a>Leroy Sané joins amidst a changing environmentYet despite all these developments, the Sané transfer to Bayern was never really off. It is moot now to recount all the shenanagans, the rumors, the speculation that went on in the run up to his move last summer before his injury brought everything to an abrupt hold. Suffice it to say that in all likelihood Leroy Sané would have already become a Bayern player 10 months ago for a lot more money than the club is paying now.In an odd way, Sané’s injury and coronavirus might have been a blessing in disguise for the whole transfer project. Bayern are now effectively saving €70m in cash on signing a player whose intention to leave City and join Bayern seems not to have wavered in the past 10 months.Financially, Bayern seem to have made a tremendous deal. They are one the few clubs in Germany who appear to come through the coronavirus crisis rather unscathed. For them, a transfer fee just shy of €50m for a player of Sané’s quality is a steal, and they will find his alleged annual salary somewhere in the €20m range a lot but acceptable given his talents.€70m less in transfer fees, 10 additional months to cure his injury, and perhaps a slightly lower salary than he might have commanded in a non-coronavirus market, so all is well that ends well with Leroy Sané joining Bayern – or is it?<a href="#a-transfer-that-ticks-all-the-boxes"></a>A transfer that ticks all the boxes?The timelines and the financials might have changed, but Leroy Sané the player and Leroy Sané the personality are still the same as they were 10 months ago. The same questions and issues relating to his Bayern move that were true back then are still true now.What does his arrival herald for Bayern? How many of the great expectations tied to his name are really warranted? Will he be, can he be the final puzzle piece that will bring Bayern the one decisive step closer to their long overdue Champions League title?Yes, Leroy Sané indisputably is a brilliant footballer. He is a player who would improve almost any team, no matter his teammates, the coach, the tactics or the system. In pure footballing terms, it is hard to imagine a squad where his pace, his technical abilities, his skills in taking on opponents one-on-one, his finishing ability, and his youthful courage and imperturbability would not make him a valuable addition – including Bayern’s.But there are some reasons to be cautious, too. Above all, there is the question of his character. Jogi Löw did not select him for Germany’s 2018 World Cup squad in Russia, a decision which caught many experts and pundits by surprise at the time. Löw certainly did not leave Sané out because of doubts about his qualities as a footballer. But…
As German sports outlet <em>Sport Bild</em> <a href="https://sportbild.bild.de/bundesliga/vereine/bayern-muenchen/fc-bayern-leroy-sane-transfer-wechsel-perfekt-manchester-city-71610794.sport.html">were first to report on June 30</a>, Leroy Sané has joined FC Bayern for a supposed fee of slightly below €50m, down €70m from City’s alleged asking price of €120m before his ACL injury last summer.When I wrote a first draft of this article in late summer of last year, it was a virtual certainty to me that Leroy Sané’s transfer to FC Bayern was imminent. It was only a matter of time and I wanted to be prepared. Then his injury came and the transfer fell through at the last minute. Since then, a lot has happened. It all began with the injury, which did not only thwart his move but surely a good deal of pre-produced articles as well, then Bayern sacked their coach, and then – coronavirus struck. We live in a different world now, parameters have changed, priorities have shifted. Football clubs everywhere are fighting for financial survival, nine-figure transfers like Sané’s would probably have become last summer seem a distant memory.<a href="#leroy-sane-joins-amidst-a-changing-environment"></a>Leroy Sané joins amidst a changing environmentYet despite all these developments, the Sané transfer to Bayern was never really off. It is moot now to recount all the shenanagans, the rumors, the speculation that went on in the run up to his move last summer before his injury brought everything to an abrupt hold. Suffice it to say that in all likelihood Leroy Sané would have already become a Bayern player 10 months ago for a lot more money than the club is paying now.In an odd way, Sané’s injury and coronavirus might have been a blessing in disguise for the whole transfer project. Bayern are now effectively saving €70m in cash on signing a player whose intention to leave City and join Bayern seems not to have wavered in the past 10 months.Financially, Bayern seem to have made a tremendous deal. They are one the few clubs in Germany who appear to come through the coronavirus crisis rather unscathed. For them, a transfer fee just shy of €50m for a player of Sané’s quality is a steal, and they will find his alleged annual salary somewhere in the €20m range a lot but acceptable given his talents.€70m less in transfer fees, 10 additional months to cure his injury, and perhaps a slightly lower salary than he might have commanded in a non-coronavirus market, so all is well that ends well with Leroy Sané joining Bayern – or is it?<a href="#a-transfer-that-ticks-all-the-boxes"></a>A transfer that ticks all the boxes?The timelines and the financials might have changed, but Leroy Sané the player and Leroy Sané the personality are still the same as they were 10 months ago. The same questions and issues relating to his Bayern move that were true back then are still true now.What does his arrival herald for Bayern? How many of the great expectations tied to his name are really warranted? Will he be, can he be the final puzzle piece that will bring Bayern the one decisive step closer to their long overdue Champions League title?Yes, Leroy Sané indisputably is a brilliant footballer. He is a player who would improve almost any team, no matter his teammates, the coach, the tactics or the system. In pure footballing terms, it is hard to imagine a squad where his pace, his technical abilities, his skills in taking on opponents one-on-one, his finishing ability, and his youthful courage and imperturbability would not make him a valuable addition – including Bayern’s.But there are some reasons to be cautious, too. Above all, there is the question of his character. Jogi Löw did not select him for Germany’s 2018 World Cup squad in Russia, a decision which caught many experts and pundits by surprise at the time. Löw certainly did not leave Sané out because of doubts about his qualities as a footballer. But…
sportbild.de
Sané-Wechsel zu Bayern perfekt!
Die Bundesliga darf sich auf einen neuen Superstar freuen! Der Wechsel von Leroy Sané (24) von Manchester City zu Bayern ist fix!
<b>DFB-Pokal first round preview: Düren vs. Bayern</b>
By rights, the first round of the DFB-Pokal should already be finished. But FC Bayern have been granted a postponement of their first game at their own request and now have to play against 5th tier club 1. FC Düren on Thursday evening.International breaks are usually rather relaxed times for FC Bayern. The majority of the squad is away on international duty and the resulting vacancies are filled in training with youth players. This week has been no exception: Leon Dajaku, Angelo Stiller, Johannes Schenk, Maximilian Zaiser, Josip Stanisic, Alexander Lungwitz, Kilian Senkbeil, Armindo Sieb and Fiete Arp were all called up to join the first team training on Tuesday.Of all the people involved at Bayern, the game on Thursday arguably presents the greatest disruption to the usual process to Hansi Flick. Instead of being able to prepare for the game on Saturday evening in Bielefeld in the usual manner, he has to come up with a starting eleven that gets by without any of the national team players if possible – at least without those who were actually called up for duty.<a href="#will-the-team-select-itself"></a>Will the team select itself?In goal, Alexander Nübel could make his debut. Even though Manuel Neuer is known for wanting to play every game, the time for him to recover after the game against Switzerland on Tuesday might not have been long enough. More importantly, however, it would not be a good sign for the young newcomer if Nübel would not even get this game.In defense, Flick benefits from Löw’s decision to retire Jérôme Boateng from the national team despite the defensive problems in the DFB team. Hence, Boateng is going to be a certain starter. The only question is who will start next to him. Niklas Süle did not play a minute on Tuesday evening, so theoretically he would be available. The <em>Kicker</em>, on the other hand, speculated that Chris Richards might get a start, but he might not become fit in time. Javi Martínez is also available. The experienced player will probably be given preference, especially since he has not had any game time recently and cannot be exhausted.Because Alphonso Davies did not have to travel with his national team, he will probably start on Thursday and will be replaced on Saturday by Hernández, who still was away with the French national team on Wednesday. At right-back, the situation is also very clear: Newcomer Bouna Sarr will most likely get his first appearance in a Bayern shirt.<a href="#a-newcomer-in-midfield-or-still-er-a-loser"></a>A newcomer in midfield or still, er, a loser?The personell selection in central defense might have knock-on effects on the setup in midfield. If Flick thinks Süle is fit enough, Martínez will move into holding midfield next to newcomer Marc Roca. Although the very ambitious Angelo Stiller of Bayern’s reserve squad has been training with the first team during the week, Flick has not really put much trust in him so far. After all, it was the first time ever that he had been allowed to take part in first team training.Nevertheless, Sky reporter Torben Hoffmann recently reported that Stiller could make his debut against Düren. For the talented and strong midfielder, it would be a great chance to persuade the coaching team of his talent – unless they choose Süle and Martínez after all.In offense, Thomas Müller will be set. Here, too, Flick profits from the fact that Löw has removed him from the national team for good. The remaining three positions will probably be filled by two newcomers and a youth player: Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, Douglas Costa and Jamal Musiala have the best chances of getting a start.<a href="#boateng-and-muller-provide-the-backbone"></a>Boateng and Müller provide the backboneIt will also be interesting to see who Flick will pick as the options from the bench. Besides many players from the reserves, Flick will probably want to have a few of his established players available as well to have…
By rights, the first round of the DFB-Pokal should already be finished. But FC Bayern have been granted a postponement of their first game at their own request and now have to play against 5th tier club 1. FC Düren on Thursday evening.International breaks are usually rather relaxed times for FC Bayern. The majority of the squad is away on international duty and the resulting vacancies are filled in training with youth players. This week has been no exception: Leon Dajaku, Angelo Stiller, Johannes Schenk, Maximilian Zaiser, Josip Stanisic, Alexander Lungwitz, Kilian Senkbeil, Armindo Sieb and Fiete Arp were all called up to join the first team training on Tuesday.Of all the people involved at Bayern, the game on Thursday arguably presents the greatest disruption to the usual process to Hansi Flick. Instead of being able to prepare for the game on Saturday evening in Bielefeld in the usual manner, he has to come up with a starting eleven that gets by without any of the national team players if possible – at least without those who were actually called up for duty.<a href="#will-the-team-select-itself"></a>Will the team select itself?In goal, Alexander Nübel could make his debut. Even though Manuel Neuer is known for wanting to play every game, the time for him to recover after the game against Switzerland on Tuesday might not have been long enough. More importantly, however, it would not be a good sign for the young newcomer if Nübel would not even get this game.In defense, Flick benefits from Löw’s decision to retire Jérôme Boateng from the national team despite the defensive problems in the DFB team. Hence, Boateng is going to be a certain starter. The only question is who will start next to him. Niklas Süle did not play a minute on Tuesday evening, so theoretically he would be available. The <em>Kicker</em>, on the other hand, speculated that Chris Richards might get a start, but he might not become fit in time. Javi Martínez is also available. The experienced player will probably be given preference, especially since he has not had any game time recently and cannot be exhausted.Because Alphonso Davies did not have to travel with his national team, he will probably start on Thursday and will be replaced on Saturday by Hernández, who still was away with the French national team on Wednesday. At right-back, the situation is also very clear: Newcomer Bouna Sarr will most likely get his first appearance in a Bayern shirt.<a href="#a-newcomer-in-midfield-or-still-er-a-loser"></a>A newcomer in midfield or still, er, a loser?The personell selection in central defense might have knock-on effects on the setup in midfield. If Flick thinks Süle is fit enough, Martínez will move into holding midfield next to newcomer Marc Roca. Although the very ambitious Angelo Stiller of Bayern’s reserve squad has been training with the first team during the week, Flick has not really put much trust in him so far. After all, it was the first time ever that he had been allowed to take part in first team training.Nevertheless, Sky reporter Torben Hoffmann recently reported that Stiller could make his debut against Düren. For the talented and strong midfielder, it would be a great chance to persuade the coaching team of his talent – unless they choose Süle and Martínez after all.In offense, Thomas Müller will be set. Here, too, Flick profits from the fact that Löw has removed him from the national team for good. The remaining three positions will probably be filled by two newcomers and a youth player: Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, Douglas Costa and Jamal Musiala have the best chances of getting a start.<a href="#boateng-and-muller-provide-the-backbone"></a>Boateng and Müller provide the backboneIt will also be interesting to see who Flick will pick as the options from the bench. Besides many players from the reserves, Flick will probably want to have a few of his established players available as well to have…
<b>Better Late than Never in Salzburg</b>
After two consecutive matches where Bayern won 2-1 while putting in very mediocre performances, they traveled to Salzburg in hopes of turning things around. For much of this match things looked eerily similar to those previous two outings.Salzburg would start off the scoring 4th minute thanks to Mergim Berisha. Boateng would block a shot from Koita and the deflected ball fell directly to Berisha who blasted it past Manuel Neuer’s hand and into his near post. A few minutes later Serge Gnabry broke through and beat the keeper only to have the ball cleared off the line by a defender. Just a short time after, Hernandez would go down in the box and a penalty was given before VAR intervened and ruled it not a foul. Not long after that Gnabry would appear to score but be called back for offsides.There started to be a feeling that things weren’t really going the Bavarian’s way until the 21st minute when Thomas Müller cleverly hoodwinked his opponent into fouling him in the penalty area. This time the penalty would stand and Lewandowski calmly put it in the back of the net. From there the match was very back and forth, slightly favoring the Austrian side till the 44th minute when Müller yet again made something happen. Lewandowski played Müller wide and the German international whipped in a cross for Tolisso but Rasmus Kristensen wanted his name on the scoresheet and scored an own goal. In truth there was very little Kristensen could have done to avoid it and Bayern would go into the half up 2-1.The second half resulted in much of the same back and forth from the first half. Salzburg were almost unquestionably the better side and in the 66th minute they got their equalizer. Just seconds after having come on Masaya Okugawa leveled things in the 66th minute after a very quick pass through the Bayern defense from Andre Ramalho who had just stripped Lewandowski of the ball near the center line.This goal did seem to act as a bit of smelling salt for a sleepy Bayern side. The action immediately following this goal was noticeably improved and sharper than most of the match to this point. However it would take 13 more minutes to bare any fruition, during which time Salzburg again pushed Bayern. However, in the 79th minute Joshua Kimmich would take a beautiful freekick that found the head of Boateng who smashed into the back of the net. Just 4 minutes later, Leroy Sané would get the ball on the right side of the box, cut back over to his left foot and curl it into the top corner.From here the flood gates were open. Lewandowski would add his second in the 88th minute on a well placed cross from Javi Martínez (no you didn’t read that wrong) and in the 92nd minute Lucas Hernandez would get a rebound and blast if it off a defender and into the top of the net to finish things off 6-2. All things considered, this score line is more than flattering to a Bayern side that for all but 10 minutes, was largely outplayed. Salzburg deserve no small amount of credit. They were very good and deserved far more than what the outcome gave them. While Bayern were not at their best again and we could easily expound on the negatives, this time around we’re going to stick with the positive vibes!<a href="#a-very-mullerish-day"></a>A Very Müllerish DayThe quirky Bavarian has in some regards been one of Bayern’s more consistent players over recent weeks. While he may not have always found his way into the scoresheet, his presence was nonetheless felt through his energy and leadership. So it really came as no surprise when he was the one who instigated both of Bayern’s first two goals…in a way that seems very apropos for the player.As I have already described the goals in full above, it is not hard to understand why one twitter user (<a href="https://twitter.com/MatthiasWhist">Matthias Martin</a>) would describe his performance <a href="https://twitter.com/MatthiasWhist/status/1323730045056286720?s=20">thusly</a>: “<em>Müller baiting…
After two consecutive matches where Bayern won 2-1 while putting in very mediocre performances, they traveled to Salzburg in hopes of turning things around. For much of this match things looked eerily similar to those previous two outings.Salzburg would start off the scoring 4th minute thanks to Mergim Berisha. Boateng would block a shot from Koita and the deflected ball fell directly to Berisha who blasted it past Manuel Neuer’s hand and into his near post. A few minutes later Serge Gnabry broke through and beat the keeper only to have the ball cleared off the line by a defender. Just a short time after, Hernandez would go down in the box and a penalty was given before VAR intervened and ruled it not a foul. Not long after that Gnabry would appear to score but be called back for offsides.There started to be a feeling that things weren’t really going the Bavarian’s way until the 21st minute when Thomas Müller cleverly hoodwinked his opponent into fouling him in the penalty area. This time the penalty would stand and Lewandowski calmly put it in the back of the net. From there the match was very back and forth, slightly favoring the Austrian side till the 44th minute when Müller yet again made something happen. Lewandowski played Müller wide and the German international whipped in a cross for Tolisso but Rasmus Kristensen wanted his name on the scoresheet and scored an own goal. In truth there was very little Kristensen could have done to avoid it and Bayern would go into the half up 2-1.The second half resulted in much of the same back and forth from the first half. Salzburg were almost unquestionably the better side and in the 66th minute they got their equalizer. Just seconds after having come on Masaya Okugawa leveled things in the 66th minute after a very quick pass through the Bayern defense from Andre Ramalho who had just stripped Lewandowski of the ball near the center line.This goal did seem to act as a bit of smelling salt for a sleepy Bayern side. The action immediately following this goal was noticeably improved and sharper than most of the match to this point. However it would take 13 more minutes to bare any fruition, during which time Salzburg again pushed Bayern. However, in the 79th minute Joshua Kimmich would take a beautiful freekick that found the head of Boateng who smashed into the back of the net. Just 4 minutes later, Leroy Sané would get the ball on the right side of the box, cut back over to his left foot and curl it into the top corner.From here the flood gates were open. Lewandowski would add his second in the 88th minute on a well placed cross from Javi Martínez (no you didn’t read that wrong) and in the 92nd minute Lucas Hernandez would get a rebound and blast if it off a defender and into the top of the net to finish things off 6-2. All things considered, this score line is more than flattering to a Bayern side that for all but 10 minutes, was largely outplayed. Salzburg deserve no small amount of credit. They were very good and deserved far more than what the outcome gave them. While Bayern were not at their best again and we could easily expound on the negatives, this time around we’re going to stick with the positive vibes!<a href="#a-very-mullerish-day"></a>A Very Müllerish DayThe quirky Bavarian has in some regards been one of Bayern’s more consistent players over recent weeks. While he may not have always found his way into the scoresheet, his presence was nonetheless felt through his energy and leadership. So it really came as no surprise when he was the one who instigated both of Bayern’s first two goals…in a way that seems very apropos for the player.As I have already described the goals in full above, it is not hard to understand why one twitter user (<a href="https://twitter.com/MatthiasWhist">Matthias Martin</a>) would describe his performance <a href="https://twitter.com/MatthiasWhist/status/1323730045056286720?s=20">thusly</a>: “<em>Müller baiting…
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