Monday, April 5th, 2021
The lessons of Matchday 27
FC Bayern is a burden on the league
By David Bedürftig & Torben Siemer
At the top end of the Bundesliga everything is as usual. And that’s a problem. The “normal case” of FC Bayern is too much for the competition. There is a lack of resistance in Dortmund, the fight against relegation remains dramatic. And then there is still Berlin.
Dortmund accepts the disaster
As captain, Marco Reus should actually lead his team. But against Eintracht Frankfurt his substitution seemed symbolic of the state of Borussia Dortmund. In the 80th minute, when the score was 1: 1, he presumably snuck off the field, a captain is reluctant to be replaced, and coach Edin Terzic called the response to the question “humane”. But it becomes a symbol because this self-abandonment in the situation seems to apply to large parts of the Borussia professionals.
A rebellion against the non-achievement can be seen above all in Erling Haaland, who tore his hair, threw his arms in the air, but overall seems increasingly desperate. Because of the prospect of playing Europa League at best. If he stays with BVB, because there are more than enough interested parties for the 20-year-old, who has scored more goals (21) in the current league season than the five next best Dortmunders (Sancho, Hummels, Guerreiro, Reus, Reyna) combined (19).
Mats Hummels describes the prospect of missing the Champions League as a “catastrophe” with “financial consequences” that could mean that “you have to sell someone you want to keep”. That would be dramatic for Borussia, especially when it comes to Haaland, who covers up many problems with his exploitation of opportunities and his zeal for work. The Reus’sche lethargy, symbolic not only for him, would, however, remain with BVB.
The relegation battle offers tragic dramaturgy
He’s the “hunter”, of course he doesn’t give up. One of the best goal scorers in Schalke’s history and now also the oldest: at 37 years and 234 days, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar replaced former goalkeeper Oliver Reck, who was 36 years and 347 days old when he scored in February 2002. “Of course there is faith – every day, every game,” the striker told ZDF. Just for further information: The Dutchman meant the belief in not relegation. The brutal fall into the second division, despite Huntelaar’s optimism after another zero points for Schalke, tragically no longer seems to be avoided.
An extremely exciting relegation battle comes to a head in front of the Revierklub. Because Mainz (25 points) and Bielefeld (23) shared the counters, none of the basement children could break away, just like Hertha (25) with one away point in the city derby. Hoffenheim (30) and Werder (30) are not yet completely out of the bottom of the table.
1. FC Köln (23) unfortunately lost in third place in the table from Wolfsburg and coach Markus Gisdol was no longer guaranteed a job until the end of the season, only until the next game. It’s all about everything: Next Sunday, Effzeh will duel against table neighbors Mainz 05, of all places. So it remains extremely exciting.
The flank god and his utilizer
Filip Kostic hit a whopping 209 crosses for Frankfurt last season. League top value. Also this year, thanks to the winger, Eintracht is way ahead in this statistic (351 flanks, only Bayern have more). And actually every defense of the Bundesliga knows who should use the flying balls Kostic ‘. Namely André Silva. Just in spite of this knowledge, hardly any defense can do anything against this combination. BVB was hopelessly overwhelmed again on Saturday. Silva had several good chances after crosses and finally completed a late Kostic cross for a 2-1 winner. It was his 22nd goal of the season (of a total of 55 Frankfurt goals), so he now has one more than Erling Haaland.
And just as BVB must tremble for Haaland, now that the qualification for the Champions League appears to be a thing of the past, Eintracht can hope to keep the Portuguese goal-guarantor beyond the end of the season. Because the chances of participating in the premier class for the first time are extremely good. The Hessians now have a seven point lead over Dortmund and Wolfsburg. “That we have an unbelievably historic chance is the most important thing for me at the moment,” said Adi Hütter after the victory. Thanks to Kostic and Silva, the god of flanking and exploitation.
1. FC Union is number 1 in Berlin
Dortmund against Schalke, Hamburg against St. Pauli, formerly Bayern against 1860 Munich – the Berlin city derby does not have such prestige for a long time. For a long time, the football realities of Hertha BSC and 1. FC Union were too far away. And even after the unclear 1: 1 on Sunday evening, they are still far apart. Little at least vividly for those who don’t keep it up with (too) physical play. “That was not okay at all,” said Hertha coach Pal Dardai immediately after the final whistle on Sky, he was dissatisfied. And still considered the division of points to be “progress”.
Because “we used to lose games like this,” said Dardai, who should protect the newly rich Hertha from being second-rate in the future. The trainer involuntarily clarifies the current demands of the West Berliners, he had already told the “Berliner Morgenpost” beforehand: “New money has come into the club and it has been invested, but the machine did not spit out what it was has presented. ” Because, as Dardai told the newspaper, the capital has “a vicious circle” that leads to the question at BSC: “Why doesn’t Hertha play in the Champions League?”
The European Cup is currently something that could soon become a reality at 1. FC Union. The Köpenicker are 14 points ahead of Hertha in seventh place, which theoretically could already be enough for the new Europa Conference League. But only if Union overcomes its love for a tie. The 1-1 draw against Hertha was the fifth division of points in the tenth second round match. Otherwise, in the end, “only” remains to have improved significantly after a strong debut season in the second Bundesliga year.
Julian Nagelsmann had already got it right. “We don’t need to talk about it, the issue is usually settled,” said the trainer from RB Leipzig, whose team had just lost 1-0 to Bayern. He now leads the league with a seven-point lead and is inevitably heading for his ninth championship in a row.
“Normal case” is therefore the perfect word, because a non-Bayern championship would mean a departure from the norm. The people of Munich are so much better than the rest of the league, there are now third graders who have never experienced that after the 34th matchday, FC Bayern is NOT the German champions. For the rest of the league, in turn, this means a burden, the best outcome of which is a second place.
This is now also experienced by the one of an Austrian billionaire right-wing populist failures Club in Leipzig bought into the European top class. In the crucial games, like the one on Saturday evening, FC Bayern not only appear effectively, but also highly motivated, determined – and in most cases successful. Coach Hansi Flick, who has been responsible for the record champions for 17 months and 6 titles, then reported: “We said to ourselves: This is a final for us.” And this FC Bayern always wins at the moment.
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