DFB Cup
Bitter Bayern “pill”: disgraced and weakened in terms of personnel
Bayern professionals Konrad Laimer, Min-jae Kim and Thomas Müller (lr) appear stunned after the game. photo
© Uwe Anspach/dpa
FC Bayern left Saarbrücken disgraced and with personnel concerns. The top game in Dortmund is already on the program on Saturday. Thomas Tuchel doesn’t have many options.
Thomas Tuchel appeared calm and collected. The coach of the im However, FC Bayern, who had sensationally failed in the DFB Cup, knew that a tough three days awaited them before the Bundesliga clash.
“We have already said in the dressing room that it is not a time to point fingers at each other, not a time to question everything,” said Tuchel after the embarrassing 1:2 in the second round of the cup at third division club 1. FC Saarbrücken. “Unfortunately it won’t be our last defeat in all of our football lives.”
Bundesliga top game follows
The record winner will face long-term rivals Borussia Dortmund on Saturday (6.30 p.m./Sky). At least morally weakened, probably also in terms of personnel. After weeks of problems in the sparse central defense, the Dutch national player Matthijs de Ligt suffered another knee injury in the cup game. “We hope it’s nothing structural,” said Tuchel, who would be forced to rebuild at BVB again.
“We have to find a solution to be able to survive against Dortmund,” said Tuchel thoughtfully, referring to Noussair Mazraoui (ill) and Leon Goretzka (broken metacarpal), who could possibly be back. “We have two days to prepare.” Defenders Dayot Upamecano and ex-Dortmund Raphael Guerreiro were unavailable for action in the cup after muscle injuries.
“Anything other than our claim”
Whoever ends up playing, Bayern will have to improve significantly. The Munich team dominated the game on the deep grass in the Ludwigsparkstadion. However, the star ensemble didn’t create many chances. Harry Kane was spared by Tuchel in the game. “It was just one more change. I wanted to wait for extra time, if there was extra time. I first had to check whether everyone could play through. That would have meant we couldn’t make any more changes,” Tuchel explained on ARD why he was 30 years old old striker didn’t come on in the final phase.
“It’s a bitter pill to swallow today,” said the coach after the Bayern fans’ treble dreams ended. For the third time in the last four seasons, the second round of the cup ended. “Of course that’s anything but our claim,” said Thomas Müller, who took the ultimately worthless Munich lead. The team must show the “necessary respect” especially to the fans who “fill up the block away.”