Does that look like someone who exudes Bayern Munich? His team should finally “radiate Bayern Munich” again, coach Julian Nagelsmann had announced before the game. Now the question was what that meant. In any case, Robert Lewandowski didn’t have an antenna strapped to his head when he started a spurt just before the half-time whistle that you’ve perhaps never seen from him before. The striker Lewandowski, who really only knows one direction in his game, now wheted in the other. The world footballer ran and actually ran half the field towards his goalkeeper Sven Ulreich to intercept a ball in front of Branimir Hrgota at halfway line level. The countering Franconian footballer. What a scene.
But you had to forgive Lewandowski for his unusual defensive zeal. Branimir Hrgota had just done the unthinkable shortly before: he had given the Greuther Fürth game association the lead with a free kick against a team that was once again showing a lot – but not FC Bayern Munich. Marcel Sabitzer’s knee, which rose into the air in the wall, had given Hrgota’s fine projectile a trajectory that Ulreich could only marvel at. The table bottom actually sent the table leader 0:1 behind in the dressing room.
A league leader has lost to the bottom 15 times in the history of the Bundesliga, and this has happened to FC Bayern four times. The Munich team prevented this Sunday for the fifth time. With a presentation in the second half that was characterized more by anger and strength than by game culture. When referee Robert Hartmann blew the whistle for a memorable game 45 minutes later, Bayern had a point after an equalizer from Lewandowski (46th minute), an own goal from Sebastian Giesbeck (61st), a second goal from Lewandowski (82nd) and the decision saved by Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting with a voluminous 4: 1 (0: 1) from the lawn in added time. And Nagelsmann was so relieved as if he had just reached the next round in the Champions League: “It’s an important win – in terms of the table, points and psychologically.”
Nagelsmann follows his strong penchant for tactical field experiments
That somewhat disguised the fact that the first half was the low point of an amazing series for FC Bayern. After a 2:4 against Bochum in the league, the Munich team followed up with a 1:1 against Salzburg in the Champions League. And this first half against Fürth will probably remain the low point, because you can’t fall lower than in a duel with the worst in the class. “The first half wasn’t wild, but we weren’t dangerous,” said Nagelsmann.
“Before Bochum” the world was still fine, that was also a nice sentence that Nagelsmann had spoken before to calm people’s minds. During Bochum, to continue the grammar, it was the central defender Dayot Upamecano who had irritated with his erratic positional play. And now, of course, the question arose whether the world of FC Bayern to Fuerth circle the sun as elegantly as before Bochum? Tendency: rather not.
The changes didn’t help either: At times, coach Julian Nagelsmann’s Bayern played so laxly as if they had lost faith in their ball skills.
(Photo: Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)
To remedy the defensive problems, Nagelsmann followed his pronounced penchant for tactical field experiments against Fürth and switched his team to three positions. Somewhat surprising, but FC Bayern paid a record fee for their coach for surprises like this. Instead of Niklas Süle, who migrated to Dortmund in the summer, Nagelsmann’s recently heavily scolded Leipzig souvenir Upamecano played in the heart of the defence. Omar Richards started at left-back for the first time since November; and on the flank Nagelsmann trusted his second former Leipziger, Marcel Sabitzer, who replaced the injured Kingsley Coman.
Nominally, the Munich team had a back four on the lawn. The coach later explained that he wanted to give his players security with the formation. But as offensive as Richards and Pavard leveled off right at the beginning, this back four was more of a misnomer. Bayern brought up their ball-loving and dominant game. But if you looked closely, you saw many cross and back passes. Because the Fürth held against it with a lot of vigilance and hardness, which they threw at the ball carrier.
Tolisso has to be substituted with a hamstring tear
It took nine minutes before Corentin Tolisso spotted a gap in the Franconian bulwark for the first time and served it to Leroy Sané – Nick Viergever separated him from the ball with a fair tackle their seat shells – when Jamie Leweling suddenly appeared in front of Ulreich and shot him after a back pass from Hernandez, which looked like a lot of sloppiness. But the scene was preceded by Lewelings roughness, referee Hartmann whistled, Hernandez was innocent.
Out first: Corentin Tolisso suffered a torn muscle fiber against Fürth.
(Photo: Heiko Becker/HMB Media/Imago)
In contrast to Upamecano and also to Joshua Kimmich, who passed the ball to the opponent with failed openings in a tight rhythm. At times, Bayern played so laxly as if they had lost faith in their ball skills. And it didn’t get any better when Tolisso grabbed his thigh after an enemy tackle and had to be substituted with a torn hamstring. Serge Gnabry came into play for him, who in turn immediately presented himself with a bad pass.
Whistles from the 25,000 spectators accompanied Bayern into the dressing room
Symptomatic of the Munich game: The best opportunity for them in the first half came just before half-time when a deflected shot landed at Richards’ feet. Instead of converting, the 24-year-old set up the visitors’ lead at the other end. After his foul on Hrgota, he got the ball ready 20 meters away – and scored. Whistles from the 25,000 occupied seats accompanied Bayern into the changing room.
Nagelsmann’s players returned to the pitch like a raid squad and with a back three in defence. All except for the disappointing and certainly disappointed Richards, who was replaced by Choupo-Moting. Lewandowski’s equalizer came after a solo by Gnabry along the goal line, in which some Fürth wrongly thought the ball was out and then stopped working. The lead finally fell fortunately: it was the shin of central defender Griesbeck that carried a cross from Thomas Müller over the line.
Bravely, Fürth braced themselves against their fate – twice more they almost managed to equalize: Max Christiansen and Marco Meyerhöfer only shot the goal frame. But when Lewandowski headed over the line eight minutes from time and when Choupo-Moting made the final score in stoppage time, they almost radiated a bit of Bayern Munich again.