Berlin (AFP)
It will not be an easy task for Bayern Munich to regain the “boogeyman” status locally and in Europe, after its humiliating exit from the second round of the German Cup competition with five clean points against Borussia Moenchengladbach, although its confrontation with its host Union Berlin within the tenth stage of the “Bundesliga” next Saturday is classified as easy on paper. .
Mönchengladbach inflicted a humiliating loss on Bayern, who played with all his striking power, by sweeping them 5-0, which is the most severe loss in the cup for the “Bavarian” team, the record holder for the number of titles “20”, since its fall in the quarter-finals of the competition 5-1 against Cologne in 1972, as it is. Bayern’s toughest loss since December 1978, when they fell to Fortuna Dusseldorf 1-7 in the domestic league.
Prior to this match, Bayern had achieved a string of 12 wins in 13 matches in all competitions, and had only lost one league match this season against Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 on the 3rd of October.
As this loss is the second for Bayern since Julian Nagelsmann took over as coach of the team, succeeding Hansi Flick, it marked the end of a series of 85 matches in which the Bavarian giant shook the nets of its opponents.
No one expected this loss that Bayern tasted of the cup the time they usually water their rivals.
“We did not expect a similar night, this is a collective collapse,” said Hasan Salihamidzic, the sporting director and former player of the Bosnian team.
Indeed, this result “does not happen often,” according to Swiss Brielle Embolo, who scored a double on the night of the Bavarians’ fall.
Veteran striker Thomas Muller admitted that the level was “disastrous”, and told “Sky Sports” that “with the exception of goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who we left alone, we all gave a disastrous performance, I have not seen this collective failure of our team before.”
The Germany international added: “We have to determine the reasons somehow, we have absolutely no excuse, after a similar match, it is easy to criticize yourself, and I do not know if you have ever experienced something like this in the Bayern shirt, we have to apologize to our fans.”
Of course, it is not the exclusion from the Cup that is difficult, as Bayern were eliminated from the competition in the same round last year on penalties, but the result was the presence of the entire battalion of Polish scorer Robert Lewandowski, candidate for the Golden Ball, through Muller, to the wingers Leroy Sane and Serge Gnabry.
Therefore, the match against Union Berlin, fifth, will be a fateful stop for Bayern, whether he likes it or not, before its European deserved when it hosts Benfica, the Portuguese, seeking revenge for its four-way loss at home in the first leg, on the second of next November.
It is worth noting that the last two matches between them ended in a draw with the same result, 1-1.
The match is also of great importance, as Bayern must win to maintain its lead “with a score of 22 points” for the standings, from the second Borussia Dortmund “21 points”, which began to recover after its European loss against Ajax 4-0.
Previously, the cup holder, Dortmund, qualified for the third round of the competition after winning 2-0 at its guest, Ingolstadt, of the second division, on Tuesday.
But Dortmund’s match “Saturday” will also not be easy against Cologne, the average ranking “eighth place with 13 points”, as Erling Halland’s companions were unable to beat him in the last two matches (a tie and a loss).
For his part, Bayer Leverkusen will also seek to compensate for its sudden exit from the cup at home against Karlsruhe in the second division “1-2”, when it hosts Wolfsburg on Saturday as well. Leverkusen is fourth in the standings with 17 points.
The stage opens tomorrow, “Friday”, with one match, when Hoffenheim XI hosts Hertha Berlin XI.
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