Angry players and moaning chiefs: Bayern is in crisis

Until Saturday, the title chase was very much on, as Bayern won their postponed match while Leverkusen only drew against Monchengladbach (0-0). But the two-point difference suddenly turned into a big five points after Bayer Leverkusen ran over the current champions 3-0. And now, all eyes are all on Bayern, as they prepare for their Champions League game with Lazio, but in a very bad mood. Thomas Tuhel is under fire, since it was his mistakes which were crucial. He decided to change formation and play with three at the back for the first time in such a big game, and he also left most experienced players on the bench, creating a further unrest in the locker room.

Former Bayern player Lotthar Matthäus suspects that Tuchel not only antagonized the players through his personnel decisions, but also overloaded them with tactical instructions - and thus deprives them of their freedom on the pitch.

“I was very surprised that Bayern chose to do without the stars with Bayern DNA in the game of games. If I were Tuchel, I would have relied on de Ligt, Kimmich and Müller, especially in Leverkusen. But no, Bayern have been playing with a back four for a year and when the team needs security most, they switch to a back three. The bottom line is that they were all wrong decisions in retrospect. Tuchel went all in and gambled away. You got the impression that he wanted to show everyone, and unfortunately it didn't work. Is Tuchel wobbling now? It wouldn't be a miracle. There will definitely be discussions internally. It even has to. Anything else wouldn’t be Bayern-like” said Tuchel.

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Speaking of the player, De Ligt was on the bench for the whole game, and asked if he had any injury issues, he only replied that he was ‘100% fit’. Joshua Kimmich said:

“I have done everything in the last two weeks to ensure that I come back quickly, that I come back healthy so that I can play from the start. At the end of the day the coach makes the decisions that we players have to accept” he said.

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Bayern’s honorary president and unofficially the boss of the club Uli Hoenes even aimed dig at Bayer Leverkusen before the game when he said that ‘they play the most beautiful football, but there is no title for that’. He also tried to downplay Bayer’s fantastic transfer window.

"Xabi Alonso has players that suit him this season. But they were lucky with their transfers. No one else saw Victor Boniface. And no one knew who Álex Grimaldo was before. You have to be lucky when a player comes to a new country and new club for him to have such an impact" he moaned in an interview with FAZ.

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By saying this, Hoenes basically took a shot at his own scouts, since Grimaldo is a former Barcelona back who played regularly for Benfica, who is in the Champions Legue for years now. Also, if there is one player who came to the new country and had immediate impact, it’s Bayern’s Harry Keane, who is enjoying a fantastic season and is already on a course to break Robert Lewandowski record. 

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

1/8 finals

Tuesday the 13th

23:00: (10.0) Copenhagen (5.00) Man.City (1.33)

23:00: (3.20) RB Leipzig (3.50) Real Madrid (2.20)

Wednesday the 14th

23:00: (1.68) PSG (3.70) Sociedad (5.40)

23:00: (6.25) Lazio (4.10) Bayern (1.55)

Tuesday the 20th

23:00: (2.00) Inter (3.40) Atl.Madrid (3.90)

23:00: (2.15) PSV (3.45) Dortmund (3.35)

Wednesday the 21st

23:00: (4.10) Porto (3.50) Arsenal (1.90)

23:00: (2.70) Napoli (3.35) Barcelona (2.60)

***odds are subject to change***