Gala evening against the crisis talk: Led by the outstanding young star Jamal Musiala, Bayern Munich has impressively ended its black run in the Bundesliga after four games without a win. The safe 4:0 (3:0) in the summit of the disappointed against Bayer Leverkusen was the longed-for liberation for coach Julian Nagelsmann. His colleague Gerardo Seoane, on the other hand, is coming under more and more pressure.
The internationals Leroy Sane (3rd) and Musiala (17th) and problem child Sadio Mane (39th) with his first league goal since the third game day made everything clear for Bayern, who were extremely efficient this time. The extremely agile and imaginative Musiala prepared twice. Thomas Müller followed up after a slip by Bayer goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky (84th).
Without losing their dominance, the Munich team shifted down a gear or two after the change of sides – there are six English weeks before the World Cup with the next opponents Pilsen and Dortmund. Leverkusen owed almost everything, played bodiless at times and invited the German record champions to score.
“I feel the pressure”
Like Seoane (just one league win), there was a lot at stake for Nagelsmann. “I feel the pressure,” said the Munich coach at DAZN, “but that doesn’t break me, the pressure doesn’t destroy my life.”
CEO Oliver Kahn increased it again before kick-off. His clear message: “Go on the pitch and deliver!” There is “only one goal: that’s a win!”
The recipe? “Get into the last third more often with good control,” said Nagelsmann. This was achieved in front of 75,000 spectators in the sold-out Allianz Arena after just 150 seconds when Sane coolly executed after a pass from Musiala. The tenable goal to make it 2-0 was preceded by a one-two between Musiala and Müller.
Same system
Nagelsmann had announced that he did not want to “turn everything upside down”. He stuck to the system and style, in the starting eleven there were only two newcomers in Benjamin Pavard and Marcel Sabitzer.
Mane stayed inside. “I have no doubts that Sadio will show enforcer quality,” said Kahn. However, the Senegalese often acted unhappily until his redeeming goal, which Nagelsmann celebrated with a double fist. Then he dropped to his knees and kissed the lawn.
Mane repeated this shortly after the break. But because Matthijs de Ligt had hit Leverkusen’s Odilon Kossounou in the back of the head before his goal to make it 4-0 (56 ‘), the goal was withdrawn after video evidence – hard.
