After the heavy 5-1 defeat, Thomas Tuchel tried to maintain a calm tone and maintain maximum control. The coach of FC Bayern Munich lectured objectively and soberly after the hearty 1:5 (1:3) at Eintracht Frankfurt. But Tuchel couldn’t get past the almost absurd series of Bayern mistakes; he found clear words. “We are disappointed and also angry. There is a lot to process and a lot to digest. It is clear that we have few arguments for what we did. So the responsibility ultimately remains with me,” said the coach.
It was only the fourth Bundesliga game this millennium that Bayern lost by a four-goal difference. And like the 1:5 in November 2019, it happened again against Eintracht. “The individual mistakes are of course too many,” complained Tuchel after the first Bundesliga defeat since May. His team had a completely messed up afternoon in the constant rain in Frankfurt.
“Not the greatest desire” for interviews
The Munich team, led by top striker Harry Kane, who was harmless this time, are now three points behind league leaders Bayer Leverkusen, who play at VfB Stuttgart on Sunday, with the same number of games. Joshua Kimmich’s goal (43rd minute) was far too little. Omar Marmoush (12th), Eric Junior Dina Ebimbe (31st/50th), Hugo Larsson (36th) and Ansgar Knauff (60th) scored for the hosts in front of 58,000 spectators.
While Tuchel patiently answered question after question in the mixed zone and at the press conference, his protégés were less interested in the usual procedure. On this point, Tuchel clearly supported his professionals around Kane and captain Manuel Neuer. “You have to understand that the players don’t have the greatest desire to explain it today. The answers we give on the pitch are more important than whether we shine in the interview today,” said Tuchel.
“That cannot be our claim. That’s why we will have to talk about it, we need a reaction, absolutely.” FC Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel
Thomas Müller: “The anger engine has to come on”
But one person spoke anyway: Thomas Müller. The identification figure, who again only came from the bench in Frankfurt, announced a clear sporting reaction: “We won’t lose our head, we will fight back, we will come back,” said the German national soccer player on Sky. He summed up the last 90 minutes like this: “In the first half hour they kind of took our edge,” said the 34-year-old. “There has to be a reaction, the anger engine has to start.”
So no good news for Bayern’s next opponents – Manchester United in the Champions League on Tuesday (9 p.m./live in the radio report on BR24Sport) and then in the Bundesliga with VfB Stuttgart and VfL Wolfsburg.
Game cancellation instead of deadline stress – the rhythm was missing
In the past few days, Bayern had experienced something completely unusual during the season: a break in the game instead of scheduling stress. Because the Bundesliga game against Union Berlin was canceled due to a sudden onset of winter and postponed to January and the record champions in the DFB Cup are already out, Bayern did not play at all for nine days. During this time, the opponent from Frankfurt suffered defeats in three different competitions.
This lack of rhythm was clearly noticeable for the Munich team. Noussair Mazraoui and goalscorer Kimmich made big individual mistakes. The second Frankfurt goal, which came during a Munich period of pressure, seemed decisive: Eric Dina-Ebimbe passed compatriot Dayot Upamecano and Alphonso Davies with force, and Neuer let his attempt slip into the near corner.
Tuchel: No explanation for the individual mistakes
“I now have no explanation for individual mistakes,” said a partially perplexed Tuchel. His counterpart Dino Toppmöller was “totally happy” with the reaction, just three days after the disappointing cup exit in Saarbrücken.
The second goal was just the beginning. When Larsson made it 3-0 with his left hand, assisted by the busy Marmoush, Tuchel had already disappeared under the rain-protected roof of his own bench. The Munich team had not been three goals behind after 35 minutes in the league since May 2004.
The fourth and fifth goals followed after the break, Bayern now had no chance. In the stands, Bavaria’s honorary president Uli Hoeneß watched the one-sided spectacle with a gloomy expression. “We don’t have many arguments,” said Tuchel, looking at the end result soberly.