Champions League
Kahn cabin announcement to Europa-Bayern – Sané’s defense thanks
Munich’s Leon Goretzka, (lr), Thomas Müller and Alphonso Davies cheer after the win. photo
© Peter Kneffel/dpa
Bayern are there in the Champions League. In the important win against Barcelona, however, they also need luck and a rare fallout from the returnee Lewandowski.
After a brief visit to the Bayern dressing room, Oliver Kahn stood in front of the group of reporters and spoke haunting words in a calm voice, just as you would hear Karl-Heinz Rummenigge or Uli Hoeneß say on big Munich football nights for years.
“Internationally, the team shows what it’s made of. But we’re well advised not to overdo it now and fall into euphoria again,” said the increasingly publicly present boss. Shortly after him, the goalless returnee Robert Lewandowski, after FC Bayern’s 2-0 win over FC Barcelona, quickly and wordlessly disappeared from the Allianz Arena in the direction of the team bus.
Not only Kahn knew about the great importance of the victory, which calmed the situation in Munich after three draws in everyday league life and alleged discords in the dressing room and set the course for the round of 16 in the premium Champions League competition with the optimal six-point start. But Kahn was also aware that the evening didn’t necessarily have to end with enthusiastic fans shouting “Super Bayern”.
What would have happened if a strong Barça hadn’t spared their feared opponent in the first half and had been as efficient as Bayern had been in the double strike by Lucas Hernández and Leroy Sané within four minutes after the break?
“Had the necessary bit of luck”
“We had that little bit of luck in the first half,” admitted Kahn. He was not the only one who was amazed by Lewandowski, who missed several chances in his living room at the Allianz Arena, such as a free volley: “He usually does it.” And so Kahn preferred to warn the night and even revealed what announcement he had made in the holy cabin: “I said to the team, the victory is particularly valuable if we follow suit now. That means we have to go in now Win Augsburg.” The Bundesliga duty is calling.
“Big game, Champions League, Barcelona – that’s what you play football for,” said the strong substitute Leon Goretzka with shining eyes. Exhausted and sometimes limping like Dayot Upamecano, who was heavily bandaged on his knee, or Hernández, who suffered a torn muscle in his left thigh and will be out for several weeks, the victorious Munich team left the arena – and self-critically at that. “We suffered in the first half,” said midfielder Marcel Sabitzer.
Sané thanks the defense
Goal scorer Sané named the defense the match winner: “We offensive have to say thank you to our defense.” National goalkeeper Manuel Neuer made brilliant saves several times, unlike DFB rival Marc-André ter Stegen when Hernández headed the five-metre goal. Sané praised the central defender duo Hernández and Upamecano: “They played outstandingly, won almost every duel.”
The offensive power of Bayern without a classic center forward à la Lewandowski remains an issue. “In the first half we didn’t really help our defense by attacking. We didn’t break free well, didn’t hold the ball well and didn’t play courageously enough,” said Sané. “The second half – that’s how you play in the Champions League,” said sports director Hasan Salihamidzic. Kahn suddenly saw a Bayern team “with a different power”. Coach Julian Nagelsmann praised the “efficiency” that he recently missed in the Bundesliga. For captain Neuer, the next win against Barça was all in all an act of will: “We just wanted those three points more than Barcelona.”
The physical wear and tear with the first injuries (Coman, Hernández) could also defuse the tricky competition and rotation issue with dissatisfied bench pressers. “All these alleged problems in the dressing room are designed in such a way that they really annoyed me,” Goretzka said. The national player came in against Barcelona for the warned Sabitzer and made a lot of steam. “We all get along really well in the team,” he assured.
Here, too, the former goalkeeper titan Kahn, who had to endure the home world championship in 2006 after being downgraded to number two behind Jens Lehmann, had advice ready for everyone: “We will need every single player this season. The important thing is: when the other is playing, you just have to bite the bed, respect that, keep going and wait for your chance.”