DFB Cup
Nagelsmann’s luxury problem: training is better than some games
Bayern’s Noussair Mazraoui (lr), Mathys Tel, goal scorer Ryan Gravenberch and Joshua Kimmich cheer for the 1-0 lead after the goal. photo
© Marius Becker/dpa
In time for the start of the hot weeks, no one is injured at FC Bayern Munich. That gives coach Julian Nagelsmann many opportunities, but could also cause some hardship.
Teenager Mathys Tel drew attention with a record goal, Ryan Gravenberch convinced with his dominance and goal threat and Leon Goretzka celebrated an acclaimed comeback.
Just in time for the current Bundesliga summit at 1. FC Union Berlin on Saturday and the start of the Champions League, the battle for places at FC Bayern Munich has broken out. “One wishes for such a competition, it’s ideal for FC Bayern,” said sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic after the 5-0 win in the first round game of the DFB Cup at Viktoria Köln.
After striker Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting made his comeback with the third division team, not a single Bayern player is injured. And according to Salihamidzic, training really gets down to business. “If you look at the training sessions, some are better than some Bundesliga games,” he said with a grin: “The coach is spoiled for choice.”
Nagelsmann asked as moderator
A “torment” that Julian Nagelsmann does not complain about. “It’s not easy for me, but it’s better that way than otherwise,” he said. Everyone would have wanted to play against Cologne, said the coach: “That sounds obvious. But it’s not in a cup game against a third division team. This spirit is very important. The competitive situation forces one or the other to do so.”
Nagelsmann’s main task will be to moderate the scramble for places and to make it fair and understandable. “I’m sure the coach will push the right buttons and choose the right line-ups,” said Salihamidzic. Nagelsmann also let substitute keeper Sven Ulreich play in Cologne without naming him as cup keeper for the entire season. Free travel tickets cannot and do not have to be issued at FC Bayern at the moment.
Tel surprised – and gets an enema
Overall, Nagelsmann exacerbated his luxury problem on Wednesday because he brought the two young summer additions Tel (17) and Gravenberch (20) from the start. As the scorers of the first two goals and the most conspicuous players of the first half, they proved that they can be real alternatives.
That surprised some outsiders at Teenager Tel, who not many thought of as being so competitive. In the first few weeks, Nagelsmann said, the French “overdid it sometimes”. The 17-year-old “showed a lot of courage in training with the top stars, which I like,” said Nagelsmann. But he was so reluctant to play the ball.
“Fortunately the team hygiene is so good that he got a run-in when he didn’t play,” said the coach and was happy about the quick learning effect after the cup game. In Cologne he “never overdid it, played very seriously, scored a wonderful goal and had a great defensive situation when he ran 40 meters back.” Overall a good package. “He’s an investment for the future,” said the coach: “It’s not that easy to become a regular at Bayern at the age of 17. But we need him, that’s why we got him.”
Bayern should pay up to 30 million euros for the services of the exceptional talent, who replaced Jamal Musiala on Wednesday at the age of 17 years and 126 days as Bayern’s youngest goal scorer. It will be “carefully built up,” assured Salihamidzic. But Nagelsmann praised: “He now has a good balance.”
Goretzka on the way back
That was always the least of the problems with Goretzka. Although his coach described him as a “lovely guy” who “worries a lot”. The comeback after several weeks of knee injury indicated that the midfield engine is on the right track, not only because of the goal to make it 5-0. Goretzka’s time of suffering “hurt,” said the coach: “Because he’s a very good guy.” Above all, he is “an extremely important player”. Who also knows that the competition will be special this year. “We brought in good guys for positions where it was always clear who was playing last year.”