Saturday, April 03, 2021
Leipzig misses the last chance
Nobody is stopping Bayern this season either
Even the pursuers no longer believe in it: With the narrow victory in the top game against RB Leipzig, the record champions make a preliminary decision in the title race. Without the injured striker, one goal is enough, also because Leipzig leaves many chances to score.
Thomas Müller applauded Joshua Kimmich, and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge’s management team applauded in the stands. FC Bayern Munich has left rival RB Leipzig behind even without world footballer Robert Lewandowski and is slowly planning the 31st championship title. Shortly after the final whistle to make it 1-0 (1-0), coach Hansi Flick hugged each of his players, while his counterpart Julian Nagelsmann was clearly frustrated.
With a lead of seven points and only seven games left, the cup for Munich is very close. “An important step in any case. We don’t want to let this be taken away,” said Bayern captain Manuel Neuer at Sky. Nagelsmann was captured in the TV interview. “We still played a very good game and pushed Bayern back in well in the second half. Unfortunately, we just shot past every time.” His team was “certainly” not worse, but less effective at the goal.
Without the injured 35-goal striker Lewandowski, Bayern did not ignite any fireworks of chances, but were very efficient. Leon Goretzka (38th) took the first opportunity to lead after a pass from Thomas Müller. For Bayern it was the 62nd competitive game in a row with a goal and thus a German record, for Goretzka the third goal in the last four games.
“That is of course disappointing,” said Leipzig club boss Oliver Mintzlaff, who certified Bayern’s “brutal effectiveness”. “The team did everything, it would have felt more like a draw to me, but it’s not and we have to accept that.” His team no longer needs to talk about the championship “realistically”. That wasn’t our goal either. ”
The game started first – not. Because the net in the goal of Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was torn, referee Daniel Siebert refused the kick-off. Neuer showed unimagined handyman qualities and patched the net with his towel. The national goalkeeper did not convince the referees. “I think it was a little too unsafe for him,” said Neuer.
Only when RB supervisor Babacar N`Diaye fixed the problem in a more rustic way with two cable ties, the game began with a delay of almost four minutes. The broken network should remain the highlight for a long time. Both teams neutralized each other, no goals were closed. It was only in the 23rd minute that Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, who had moved into the starting line-up for Lewandowski, approached the Leipzig goal with a shot from the turn.
Leipzig usury of opportunities
Ultimately, Joshua Kimmich had a flash of inspiration. Bayern’s midfielder sent Müller into the penalty area with a clever vertical ball, who let Tyler Adams get out with a mundane hook and saw Goretzka in the back area. The conclusion was massive, but a matter of form. Bayern led, Leipzig coach Julian Nagelsmann gesticulated annoyed in front of his bench. The hit worked. Leroy Sané pulled from the edge of the penalty area (42nd), RB keeper Peter Gulacsi kept Leipzig in the game.
Nagelsmann’s tactic of going to the summit without a real striker did not work out in the first round. The RB offensive was extremely agile and often outnumbered itself in the penultimate row of attacks, but in the dangerous zone there was a lack of allusion points and determination. Nagelsmann reacted at halftime and brought more speed into the attack with winger Justin Kluivert.
The plan took effect initially. Kluivert prevailed on the right side, his cross landed over Amadou Haidara at Marcel Sabitzer. The captain’s sideways pull was the most dangerous Leipzig conclusion to date (50th). Two minutes later, Kluivert again passed across, Dani Olmo was completely free at the penalty spot – and missed his shot. Leipzig was now better in the game, pressed more aggressively, but Bayern did not wobble yet.
Sabitzer’s shot from a good 20 meters was nice to look at (59th), but it was more routine for Neuer. The champions’ defense around David Alaba, who replaced Franck Ribéry as a foreigner with the most Bayern appearances with his 274th Bundesliga game, withstood the pressure. Bayern are now attacking on the counterattack through the fast outside Sané and substitute Serge Gnabry.
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