FC Bayern messed it up at BVB
Freaking Kahn slips off the chair and sounds the alarm
By Tobias Nordman
10/09/2022 5:31 am
Up to the 95th minute, everything seems to be going as it has in previous years: if FC Bayern meets Borussia Dortmund, the record champions win. But this Saturday everything is different. BVB sets the lucky punch. This causes a tantrum.
The Westfalenstadion in Dortmund once again experienced one of those legendary Oliver Kahn moments on Saturday evening. After a kung fu kick and a neck nibble, however, the Titan didn’t go against the body of a black and yellow opponent this time. When FC Bayern, now it’s his FC Bayern, was shocked by Anthony Modeste in the 95th minute, the boss of the record champions slipped off his chair, sorry, stadium seat. He freaked out with anger, slammed his hands on the parapet in front of him and made a face. Because the Munich team had actually given up the top game, which they had played sovereignly up to the 70th minute. It was 2:2 (0:1) after 95 minutes, which were not very entertaining for a long time, but ended in a crazy finish.
“We did everything to make it 2-2,” said Kahn, according to Sport1 in the mixed zone. BVB was “pretty dead” before, but was “brought back into play” by the negligent record champion team. The ex-Titan grapples with an “amazing season. How we always manage to deprive ourselves of the rewards we deserve.” He has to think for a long time to be able to remember such a season in which the team regularly forgets to “close the bag.” Kahn actively switches to alert mode. “We have to get going quickly now. We can’t rely on the teams above us only drawing or losing. We have to be first quickly.” Clear message: FC Bayern needs “result stability”.
“It Hurts Since It’s Late”
The Munich team had won eight victories in a row against their eternal rival before this duel. Coach Julian Nagelsmann had proclaimed the ninth as an absolute goal. And it looked like they were going to hit the target well into injury time. There was hardly anything to suggest that things would change on Strobelallee. Not even the substitution of Modeste in the 70th minute, who was the match winner, but also missed a huge opportunity to equalize in the 83rd minute when he free-standing the ball in Manuel Neuer’s arms, yes, what was he actually doing ? Goof up, that’s probably the best way to go. Now we know: Such scenes rarely go unpunished. Especially not against FC Bayern.
But what has been the rule for years was broken with a bang on October 8th. And actually nobody knew why. Because after the 0: 2 by Leroy Sané (53rd) – Leon Goretzka (33rd) had previously scored – Dortmund really no longer believed in a comeback. Somehow everything was a little jittery, including goalkeeper Alexander Meyer, who didn’t look happy with Sané’s long-range shot. “We have a lot of chances to switch in the second half, where we miss the third goal,” Nagelsmann quarreled. And such scenes (see above) rarely go unpunished. Nagelsmann analyzed objectively: “Once we didn’t defend the first goal we conceded and in the end we don’t really follow up. In the end it’s fair. It hurts because it’s late.” And no one lived that pain as passionately as Kahn. A Twitter user mocked the cult song for the French BVB striker: “Who gives Oliver Kahn the rest? ANTHONY MODESTE!”
“You can’t put it into words”
For Munich it is a damper on the way back to the track that brought the title. After a veritable earnings crisis in the Bundesliga, they had taken gentle steps towards a better future against the heavily ailing Bayer Leverkusen (4-0) and against Viktoria Pilsen, who was only weakly defended. Nagelsmann had found solutions to ease his players’ final cramps. A massive liberation would have been a win at BVB. Also for his standing. A maturity away from a talented trainer to a seasoned trainer. This label still hangs on him. The label of talent that distinguishes him more as a learner than as a teacher. That obviously gnaws at Nagelsmann. Also because it comes from the club environment. “Everyone says that, not just Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. In my opinion, too many say it. I’m a talented coach, and I’m proud of it. I do my best every day, others judge the rest.”
The missed victory in Dortmund not only annoyed the coach and the wild boss Kahn, but also the goalscorer Goretzka, who is in good shape again after a long injury. “You can’t put it into words. It annoys and upsets us a lot. We played a good game, we just missed the final consequence. That happens to us too often lately.”
It’s a Groundhog Day nuisance. Not decisive enough in the end in the front, not sufficiently uncompromising in clarifying the situations in the back. Three scenes symbolize this: Before the 2-0, Sadio Mané leaves a huge chance with his head. Wonderfully unlocked by Joshua Kimmich and Goretzka. Then the scene before Youssoufa Moukoko made it 1-2, which Modeste was able to calmly release. Dayot Upamecano remained strangely passive against the French. And finally a moment before equalizing. When Sané crossed his opponent Jude Bellingham, as a result of which Bayern failed to clear enough and were punished by Modeste, who had cleverly slipped away from Noussair Mazraoui. The handover didn’t work. However, this was also due to wild personnel rochaden in the defensive line. You can explain it all. Preventing would be better from the Munich point of view.
Four chain is rebuilt powerful
First, Alphonso Davies had to leave. He was hit in the head by Bellingham, who was cautioned, just before the break. Unintentionally, but powerfully. The left-back had to go to the hospital, suspected concussion. Bellingham was allowed to continue. Bayern couldn’t understand that. Nagelsmann complained that according to the regular training it should have been red. And captain Manuel Neuer said: “We heard at half-time that the head was too deep. In my opinion, it’s not too deep. At the beginning of the season, the referees told us that a head hit is more likely to be punished with a red card. The referee has to weigh that up with his support in Cologne.” Josip Stanišić, who had plenty of problems with Dortmund’s substitute Karim Adeyemi, came on for Davies. Mazraoui later replaced the ailing Matthijs de Ligt. Benjamin Pavard moved into central defence. With the changes, the sovereignty went down the drain. And later another player with Kinsgley Coman. He received a yellow card in the 90th minute after a foul on Adeyemi.
Kimmich had previously ensured sovereignty. After surviving the corona infection, he was initially only on the bench. Because the Munich team longed for a leader and needed a pacemaker, Nagelsmann reacted at the break. And the national player was the boss right away on the field. His chip balls always caused danger. Kimmich dominated the pace and Bayern Munich the game. But he didn’t bring her to the finish. Neuer complained: “Small mistakes happen in football, but maybe too many have happened lately.” Not maybe. Oliver Kahn accepted this restriction in the stands.