“Inappropriate”: Bayern Munich puts itself in trouble

Bayern Munich’s 5-1 defeat to Frankfurt left a deep impact on the defending German champions. Sporting director Christoph Freund: “It was very little.”

Thomas Tuchel spoke in a calm tone and with the utmost objectivity. The frustration of the Bayern Munich coach was clear after the unexpected 5-1 defeat against Eintracht Frankfurt in the middle of the German Football League title race on Saturday. Tuchel said after his worst defeat so far as Bayern coach: “The performance of the entire team was insufficient, and I count myself among them.”

By a four-goal margin, Munich have lost only three times in the league this millennium. The fourth number puts Bayern under additional pressure in their long-distance duel with leaders Bayer Leverkusen before the Christmas break. “The game plan dominates our reaction anyway. We cannot under any circumstances continue to play at this level,” Tuchel said.

First defeat in the league

Not only was this their first league defeat of the season, it was also their weakest and most error-prone performance for a long time. ÖFB’s Konrad Laimer came on in the first half as a right-back for a very indisposed Nassir Mazraoui. “The amount was very small,” confirmed his Salzburg compatriot, sporting director Christoph Freund.

Freund said the bankruptcy was “really unexpected.” Searching for reasons was difficult because Bayern had a strong autumn so far. Freund also identified a “behavioral problem” on the “Doppelpass” program on Sport1 on Sunday morning. It seemed as if someone said: “We will play a little football now,” criticized the sporting director. We can’t play the game like this in Frankfurt. We have a really good team and professionals, so you have to be ready.

The Champions League match against Manchester United on Tuesday (9pm/Live on Sky) is actually meaningless in sporting terms for Bayern, who have already won the group. But it now provides a rapid opportunity for rehabilitation. “We want to show that it was just a mistake,” midfielder Leon Goretzka said.

The “rage engine” should start.

If Bayern make a mistake in their final two league games before Christmas against Stuttgart and at Wolfsburg, they could actually fall behind in a long-range duel with Leverkusen. “We will fight and come back,” Thomas Müller promised. “But we don’t have much time.” The Rage Engine must start now.

Tuchel stressed his confidence in the team after the “severe setback.” “There’s no point in getting over things and talking about them now. We’re all in the same boat. “We need exactly the virtues we failed to bring to the pitch. The 50-year-old was visibly trying to maintain his composure and make sober statements. “We are more angry than sad at first.”

A new injury to Serge Gnabry did not help improve the mood. According to Bayern, the winger, who was forced to leave the field just five minutes after being substituted, suffered a tendon injury in the left adductor muscle area. The German national team player is likely to be absent until at least the end of the year.