Filed under:
What has just been witnessed?
It has been exactly 1,500 days since Bayern Munich lost 5-1 to Eintracht Frankfurt at Deutsche Bank Park, and they have just done it again. Here are the major takeaways as Eric Ebimbe and Omar Marmoush powered a determined Frankfurt side to another historic win against a lackluster (to say the least) Bayern team.
RB Leipzig, Bayern Leverkusen, FC Copenhagen and now Eintracht Frankfurt. Whenever a team lines up with a clear idea about how to win the ball back and press Bayern in possession, the team struggles and is unable to cope with the intensity of the game. The players look lost, the midfield is not resistant to press and everyone is suddenly mistake-prone. It stems from the players crumbling under any real pressure. It is something that both the coach and the players have to work towards if they aspire to win silverware this season.
Bayern Munich strives to be the best club in the world. “Forever Number One.” That simply is not possible with players like Serge Gnabry and Leon Goretzka who earn insane wages for mediocre performances every single game. Manuel Neuer had an embarrassing performance in the net, and it’s damnning to see how he also failed to save shots that could have been saved — maybe a result of his injuries and age taking a toll on him.
The coach cannot teach Joshua Kimmich how to complete a pass. The entire backline just could not hold the ball. Alphonso Davies, Noussair Mazraoui, and Dayot Upamecano gave away the ball in the worst possible situations and were extremely prone to counterattacks.
This is basic football that the players are seemingly unable to execute. You can bring in a million different coaches and these things will not change. The performance on the pitch in no way reciprocated the values this club stands for — and that is on the players.
It is not like he was unaware of the intensity and press that Frankfurt beings to the pitch, having stated that in his pre-game interview. Yet still he failed to counter it effectively. Ex-assistant coach Dino Toppmöller’s Frankfurt ran rounds against the clueless players. Bayern were unable to start an attack and repeatedly lost the ball to Frankfurt’s press.
His starting lineup, starring Choupo Moting was an atrocious decision. While Tuchel’s idea must have been the striking presence Choupo would provide when Kane drops deep, he failed to account for Choupo’s lack of presence in the box at all times and the counter-press that Thomas Müller would have provided. Choupo also failed to finish today, which only added to Bayern’s miseries.
Furthermore, his substitutions were unnecessarily delayed and Müller came on much later than he should’ve. Gnabry provided absolutely nothing, and the full-backs should have been swapped out right after the team went 3-0 down,
It is simply unacceptable from Tuchel, and while the loss is not completely on him, he cannot allow games like this where the team loses all control. It was devastating to watch as his head slipped further and further into his jacket as the scoreline grew by a larger and larger margin.
And while Bayern were unusually terrible, Frankfurt played the game with a clear mindset, perfectly executed their gameplan, and managed to sustain their press and add two more goals to their tally in the second half. Toppmöller accomplished what he set out for — intense gegenpressing and counter-attacking football, while his boys played phenomenal football. They too deserve their plaudits.
Everyone hopes that this was a one-off, and Bayern will bounce back stronger against Manchester United at Old Trafford in the final group stage fixture of the Champions League.
Looking for more thoughts and analysis on the match? Check out our Postgame Podcast on Spotify or below:
Related
Check your inbox for a welcome email.
Oops. Something went wrong. Please enter a valid email and try again.
GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (AZ/CO/IA/IL/IN/KS/KY/LA/MD/ME/MI/NJ/OH/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY), (800) 327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org (MA). Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY).
Please Gamble Responsibly. Call 1-800-522-4700 (NH), 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org (CT), or visit www.1800gambler.net (WV).
21+ (18+ KY/NH/WY). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/KS/KY/LA(select parishes)/MA/MD/ME/MI/NH/NJ/NY/OH/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Void in ONT. Eligibility restrictions apply. See terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. On behalf of Boot Hill Casino & Resort (KS).
Leave a Reply