FC Bayern before the quarter-finals of the Champions League with FC Arsenal: What gives Munich hope

At the end of a terrible day for FC Bayern Munich on the Ostalb, Max Eberl took verbal abuse several times.

The trainer search? The sports director currently doesn’t give a damn. To get through a football game in the good old Bayern style with a few percent less? Not with Eberl: “You won’t get shit.”

For decades, one man in particular used expletives at FC Bayern: Uli Hoeneß. “Shitty” player Juan Bernat, “dirt” player Mesut Özil.

When the Munich team strung together a few weak games in the spring of 2013 and only made it through the Champions League against FC Arsenal despite a 3-1 first leg win in London, Hoeneß grumbled: “The trend is your friend and at the moment we are playing beautiful dirt.”

A wake-up call with a groundbreaking effect. Bayern won 15 of the remaining 16 competitive games in the 2012/13 season and secured the first treble in club history.

The people of Munich are miles away from that in the spring of 2024. “We are deservedly criticized and we accept it,” said coach Thomas Tuchel on Monday: “The hunger, the performance and the passion in the Bundesliga were not what we expected.”

But Heidenheim recovered “after a bad night” and the subsequent analysis. “Nothing is older than yesterday’s newspaper and the football game from the day before yesterday,” said the Bayern coach, looking ahead.

The only trophy still up for grabs is the European Cup. Given the unprecedented decline in the second half of the season with already six defeats and recurring inexplicable slumps, this plan seems far from reality.

But Eberl’s appeal was primarily aimed at the players. “We should be a bit ashamed and represent the Bavarian coat of arms more dignified,” he demanded. However, he doesn’t have much hope for a quick turnaround, Eberl said: “At the moment I can’t think of much. Are you a top team? It doesn’t look like that at the moment.”

Against an in-form Arsenal, who have won eleven of their 13 competitive games since the beginning of the year and took the lead in the Premier League at the weekend, there is very little that speaks for FC Bayern.

“We are deservedly criticized and we accept it,” said Tuchel in London and did not defend himself: “The hunger, the performance and the passion in the Bundesliga were not what we expected.” However, the season is “not lost,” said the 50-year-old.

No matter how negative the season is for Bayern and how mercilessly the downward spiral continues – it is not over yet. “I would only resort to general criticism – if at all – when we really have nothing left worth fighting for,” wrote Thomas Müller on Instagram. He is already “back in fighting mode towards Tuesday,” Müller continued, “the resentment in me is almost smiling again.”

There has been very little smiling lately at the six-time Henkelpott winner. However, Sunday should have had a positive impact when it comes to Arsenal. Manuel Neuer, Leroy Sané and Kingsley Coman, three regular players who were recently injured, trained intensively again.

“I’m feeling better, everything was okay in training. I’m looking forward to tomorrow,” said Sané on Monday evening. The time will be too short for Aleksandar Pavlovic’s comeback after a serious infection, but Neuer, Sané and Coman should be ready for action at the Emirates Stadium and are looking for compensation.

“Now especially,” said Sané in London: “In the Champions League, the moment counts, you have to be there. It doesn’t matter where you are in the league.” The return of captain Neuer in particular is a glimmer of hope for the Munich team.

“On paper, Arsenal are perhaps the favorites. In contrast to Bayern, they seem to be in top form,” said English TV expert Alan Shearer: “But in the Champions League they have their own history – and it’s not really great.”

Especially not in duels with FC Bayern: Arsenal lost seven of twelve games and only won three. The last three results from Arsenal’s perspective were 1:5, 1:5, 1:5. In four comparisons in the knockout phase, the Gunners were eliminated each time.

Tuchel spoke of a dangerous opponent, especially at the Emirates Stadium, but also said: “This season we are playing against ourselves above all.” You have to “go two steps further” compared to the last league games.

Then something would work against Arsenal: “If we do that – and we’ve already shown that in the Champions League – we’ll be competitive.”

Müller’s fighting mode, Neuer’s comeback, Arsenal’s Champions League failure, Bayern’s great record and Harry Kane – even in a seemingly hopeless situation, there are still enough reasons for FC Bayern to believe in a turnaround.

On Tuesday it will be seen whether Max Eberl created a similarly positive effect with his Hoeneß imitation.

Arsenal FC: Raya – White, Saliba, Gabriel, Tomiyasu – Jorginho – Odegaard, Rice – Saka, Havertz, Martinelli
Trainer: Mikel Arteta

FC Bayern: Neuer – Kimmich, de Ligt, Dier, Davies – Laimer, Goretzka – Sané, Musiala, Coman (Gnabry) – Kane
Trainer: Thomas Tuchel