Bayern are no longer a top team

On such an evening, the categories can slip. Bayern Munich had just been eliminated from the Champions League by FC Villarreal when Bayern’s evergreen, attacker Thomas Müller, complained how difficult it was to have to accept such a defeat.

Defeat? Sure, Bayern were eliminated, but they hadn’t lost at all. They drew 1-1, but after the 1-0 loss in the first leg it was enough for the Spaniards to advance to the semi-finals.

Bayern underestimated Villarreal

Müller’s confusion corresponded perfectly with the speechlessness that overcame Bayern after their elimination against the Spanish underdog. Villarreal was rated as a deep hurdle in the German media ahead of the quarter-finals. The failure after the performance in the second leg, which they themselves rated as excellent, seemed difficult to grasp for the Munich team.

The match was intense, according to trainer Julian Nagelsmann, and goalgetter Müller did not quarrel with the performance that evening either. Rather, the cause was to be found two weeks ago, when the Munich team narrowly lost to the legendary village club Villarreal in a dull game that could easily have turned into a debacle.

There were chances for Müller, Musiala and Coman

So the frustration was only too understandable. And yet neither the mood at Bayern nor the diagnosis did justice to what was happening. In an effort not to have to talk about the deficits that had led to the defeat in the first leg, the performance they had just achieved was eagerly glorified. Because Bayern may have been many things that evening: committed, powerful, superior.

But one thing they didn’t distinguish, which would have been necessary to win the match: the serenity of a real top team. Such a one would not have been as embarrassed in Villarreal as the Munich team. And it would have won the second leg by taking the one more opportunity that would have meant going through. There were chances. Thomas Müller had them, Jamal Musiala had them and so did Kingsley Coman.

However, the Villarreal test proved to be too difficult for the German record champion. The Spaniards are certainly not an outstanding team. Bayern undoubtedly have the better staff overall. But Villarreal was well organized, extremely disciplined, trusted in their own abilities, which coach Unai Emery always appealed to. A master of sophisticated tactical routes, the Basque is a phenomenon. Although he wasn’t happy at Paris Saint-Germain, he won the Europa League four times with Sevilla FC.

Villarreal appears disciplined

A solid tactical disposition, plus the confidence to be able to survive difficult phases: this mix was enough to dupe Bayern. That’s not just a pretty sobering realization. It should also be disturbing for Bayern. Because the cause of this defeat is not based on a single dubious appearance two weeks ago.

The fact that the match in Munich was described by some experts, including Coach Nagelsmann, as one of the best performances of the last few weeks or even months, shows how much Bayern in the Bundesliga lack potent challengers who can challenge this team in their limits.

So it is certainly no coincidence that Manchester City and Liverpool FC, whose clash last Sunday was in the format of a Champions League final, have been among the favorites to win the European title for years. In the Premier League they have to compete with capable competitors a good dozen times a season.

Bayern dominate the league at will

However, a team that has dominated the domestic league at will for a decade will inevitably sooner or later find itself in a situation that Bayern got into. Their failure in the Champions League is rooted in domestic dominance.

The excellent start in the Champions League, when FC Barcelona was casually dismantled, led to overestimating one’s own possibilities. And so the bewilderment at their own departure was more of a symptom of decadence, which is why it may take a while for Bayern to realize what they are no longer: a top European team.