Cup drama shocks FC Bayern: Tuchel and Müller tremble with disappointment

Cup drama shocks FC Bayern
Tuchel and Müller tremble with disappointment

4/5/2023 5:57 am

FC Bayern is shocked after losing the cup against SC Freiburg. This is not how Thomas Tuchel imagined his second game at the new club. Captain Thomas Müller finds clear words. And the next difficult task is already waiting for the record champion.

Christian Streich went to Jamal Musiala after the drama, but the German national player demonstratively dodged the SC Freiburg coach with a swerve. Streich didn’t like that. He probably wanted to console him about his talent. But Musiala also had good reasons for not wanting to talk, not wanting to be comforted. The 20-year-old caught the ball in the penalty area in stoppage time, even jumping on both hands. Referee Harm Osmers gave a penalty (93rd). Lucas Höler hammered the game device under the bar. Ecstasy at the sports club, frustration at the record cup winner. FC Bayern’s treble dream burst spectacularly in terms of type and timing. The Munich team lost 1:2 (1:1) in their own arena in the quarter-finals of the DFB Cup.

For coach Thomas Tuchel, who took over Julian Nagelsmann’s team to ensure that goals for the season were reached, the defeat three days after winning the top Bundesliga game against Borussia Dortmund (4-2) was the first setback. One that will continue to hurt for quite a while. Beyond Saturday, when both teams meet again in the bread-and-butter business. Even minutes after the final whistle, which the guests from Breisgau celebrated with the legendary Iceland “Huh-huh”, Bayern were still looking for answers. They didn’t understand why they lost that game. They seethed.

“Why should I be mad?”

“I’m super disappointed, but why should I be angry?” Tuchel told ARD. He spoke so fast that his words sometimes skidded. The pressure on him and his team isn’t getting any less. In the championship, the fight for the title is still close and in the Champions League, one of the biggest challenges in European football awaits in the quarter-finals with Manchester City. “We conceded two goals with two long-range shots, otherwise I can’t remember any chances. In the end it’s our own fault, we know that too. We win together and we lose together,” said Tuchel.

And then he quickly proceeded to give reasons. “It was supposed to be like that, but I don’t know if it was deserved, but that doesn’t matter,” said Tuchel on Sky. The “ultimate greed, the ultimate hunger” was missing. Captain Thomas Müller even felt an “emptiness” after the knockout. For the third time in a row, the top favorite leaves the competition earlier than their own ambitions envisage. This time at least not as embarrassed as against second division team Holstein Kiel (6:5 on penalties in the second round) and Borussia Mönchengladbach (0:5 also in the second round).

Kimmich misses passion

“You’re standing there with this heap of broken pieces and you know it’s over in the DFB Cup again. Of course that scratches your sense of honor,” admitted Müller. Joshua Kimmich was also pissed off: “We’re eliminated, although in my opinion it wasn’t possible to be eliminated. Freiburg actually didn’t have anything. A long-range shot and a penalty.” But he also admitted: “You have the feeling that it’s a bit too little, too little passion.”

According to Müller, the sometimes furious victory against BVB last Saturday was actually “emotionally a real hurray”. But “now we’re emotionally down to earth or a little further down,” said Müller. “It’s very bitter because we can’t make up for anything,” said Tuchel. “Losing a knockout game is not good, it will keep us busy for a while.” What will also concern the coach: Why isn’t his team able to uphold the desired dominance? Why do so many mistakes happen? Why is there always a lack of precision in offensive play? Outstanding phases, also on this evening, are followed by too many moments in which Bayern smash their advantage again. Just like after the quite controversial 1-0 by Dayot Upamecano. The central defender had created space in the air with maximum physical effort and scored. In the end it doesn’t matter.

“Bayern controls, Freiburg defends passionately”

Freiburg equalized just eight minutes after this scene. Nicolas Höfler slammed the ball into the Bayern goal from a distance. Yann Sommer was powerless. Unlike Kingsley Coman before. The Frenchman had only insufficiently clarified, right in front of the Freiburger’s feet. One of those mistakes that was symptomatic of Munich’s negligence. There were moments like that against BVB. But these were swallowed up by the early and wild intoxication. “Bayern controls the game, Freiburg defends passionately,” said national coach Hansi Flick at half-time on Sky. After the restart, Bayern increased the pressure on the Freiburg goal, the Breisgau team managed to relieve the pressure less often. But Bayern lacked the goals. “The last situation is very bitter,” said Müller, “because you can’t fix anything.”

And so it came to the drama for Musiala and FC Bayern. “Jamal is not a defender. I also had a handball, I learned from that. I think Jamal will learn from it too,” said central defender Matthijs de Ligt. Tuchel became clearer: “Nowadays you can’t jump in like that in the sixteen. You just can’t do that. You’re taking a crazy risk.” But the coach only saw the national player at the end of a chain of errors, as he emphasized on Sky: “We lost two headers in the sixteenth, in the last minute. You have to put your body in there, be more stable, be tougher. Argh.”

And so there was a big surprise for Freiburg. It was garnished with a very special premiere. The sports club won a competitive game in Munich for the first time ever. “It’s a nice evening, great, but we don’t need to overestimate it,” said Coach Streich. A year ago, Freiburg even reached the final, but lost it to RB Leipzig. Meanwhile, Müller announced that “from Thursday we will work together again”. Tuchel wanted to give his players a day to catch their breath after the hardships of the past few weeks with many trips, including with the national teams. First of all, according to Müller, there is “disillusionment and brutal disappointment”.