Coach congratulates Bayer on the title
FC Bayern’s performance leaves Kimmich and Tuchel stunned
March 30, 2024, 9:57 p.m
In recent years, FC Bayern have always performed particularly well when they face Borussia Dortmund. Especially in your own arena. But this Easter, nothing is going well for the people of Munich. Joshua Kimmich finds the performance against BVB “inexplicable”.
The question about the championship amused Thomas Tuchel. The FC Bayern coach was asked whether the issue was finally over. “Of course,” he said, grinned painfully and added: “Congratulations to Bayer Leverkusen. There is no hope left, no, no, no. We don’t need to say anything after the game.”
After eleven German football championships in a row, the giant of the Bundesliga no longer sees any chance of completing the dozen by Easter and is giving up the fight prematurely. Given that we are 13 points behind with seven games left, there is hardly anyone who has a different view of things. But it wasn’t clear whether Tuchel thought that way because the gap was just so big or whether he was so frightened by his own performance that it ate away all his hopes. Probably both.
This Saturday evening there was a defeat against Borussia Dortmund in their own arena for the first time in almost ten years. With 0:2 (0:1), the Munich team were surprised by their favorite opponent, to whom they had inflicted debacles on the assembly line in recent years. The magic of the classic had always given FC Bayern a special bite, even in difficult phases of the season. For example, when Tuchel made his debut, who was on the Munich sidelines for the 50th time, almost exactly a year ago. At that time, the record champions’ unsettled team won 4-2. But there was no sign of such performances and such energy that evening, nor of the fearsome football that had so often surrounded BVB.
Tuchel is annoyed with the referees
After just ten minutes, Dortmund bravely stormed forward as a team after Thomas Müller lost the ball and were able to celebrate thanks to Karim Adeyemi. Sven Ulreich, who represented the injured Manuel Neuer, didn’t look good. The off-duty national player’s shot came with great force, but also from an acute angle. The decision for BVB was made in the 83rd minute: Julian Ryerson once again completed a successful ball relay. Ulreich had no chance this time. Harry Kane missed the best chance for Munich, after 23 minutes he put a free-standing header next to the goal from very close range.
A key scene in the game, according to Coach Tuchel. Another: the spectacular rescue operation by Mats Hummels, who threw up his leg to catch Eric Dier’s header, fended off the ball and possibly got his hands on it. On the TV images it looked like a very delicate touch, and the player also thought he had touched the ball. For Tuchel, the situation was clear and he complained that the referees had communicated “catastrophically”. “The hand up there, we’ve also seen penalties where the rule comes, it’s an unnatural hand movement,” said Tuchel.
“That’s why they look at things.”
During the game, the referee team declared that it was not a penalty because the ball did not touch the hand. “The explanation is simply catastrophic,” raged the Bayern coach and, referring to the video referee in Cologne, said: “That’s what we were told by the fourth official, Keller in Cologne confirmed that he didn’t touch him with his hand.” It’s “very annoying because that’s why they look at things.” A penalty in the 35th minute might have turned the game in a different direction. But that didn’t happen, also because there was no reason for it under the rules; the handball was not punishable. Meanwhile, Bayern remained unstable and without much danger.
It was a performance that set alarm bells ringing. With Joshua Kimmich, for example. The right-back was stunned by the way the record champions’ team played the game. With a look that alternated between emptiness and anger, he told Sky: “Completely frustrating, completely inexplicable,” what was shown was. “Against BVB you don’t really need anyone to motivate you, you have to run yourself the day before. We didn’t show that at all.” In the second half you “almost had the feeling that it was about nothing, it was a friendly game. Regardless of the situation in the table, this should never, ever happen to us – and especially not in a home game against Dortmund.”
“Hard to explain and of course absolutely not enough”
A little later, Tuchel also struggled for words. He said he would be happy to contradict Kimmich. But he found no arguments. Once again his team was a mystery to him, as it has often been this season. But what came as a surprise: Bayern were actually in a good flow before the international break. After the Tuchel crash – the coach is leaving at the end of the season – they pulled themselves together and achieved important victories and showed good performances. Numerous players were also in better shape again. But now there was nothing (anymore) to be seen. Leroy Sané, for example, couldn’t set any accents. After being substituted, he angrily kicked a bottle. The highly gifted midfield talent Jamal Musiala, who had many magical moments in the two recent international matches, also remained pale and acted erratically.
“It’s difficult to explain and of course absolutely not enough,” said Tuchel. “It’s obviously extremely difficult for us to approach games with the right grit, with the right passion.” Tuchel had tried everything to wake up his tired team. In his 50th game as FC Bayern coach, he changed his entire offensive after an hour, with the exception of Kane. This brought a lot of momentum, especially thanks to the returnee Kingsley Coman. However, Kane, who was recently injured, still lacked his usual coolness, as with his header (67′). Alexander Meyer made a brilliant save against returning Coman (75′). After the 0:2 there was a brief moment of hope, but Kane’s goal was conceded for offside, it was extremely close.
Different than in the championship. Even before kick-off, the Munich team had suffered a “small dampener in their mood,” as Tuchel called it. He had to watch as Leverkusen once again cultivated last-minute madness – Bayer turned around the 0-1 deficit against TSG Hoffenheim in the 88th and 91st minutes. “Of course you notice that,” said Thomas Müller, “that was a small setback, but it’s no excuse.” There are other, bigger issues at FC Bayern. Especially with a view to the quarter-finals in the Champions League, where we face Arsenal FC. Müller made the mentality of the people of Munich an issue. It’s another inexplicable evening. The question of the championship was the least important.