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Twelve goals in ten games: Bayern's Robert Lewandowski
Photo: FABRIZIO BENSCH / REUTERS
Minutes of relapse:
FC Bayern Munich actually seemed to have awakened from the nightmare that occurred in Mönchengladbach on Wednesday evening. The record champions led 3-0 in Berlin and had Union completely under control. But then Josip Stanišić, who had just moved into the team, misjudged himself, Niko Gießelmann scored the next goal and became the iron version of the goal-scoring Gladbach left-back Ramy Bensebaini (43rd minute). Sheraldo Becker seemed to want to rise to the Berlin answer to Breel Embolo immediately afterwards (44th). But because of offside, only the first hit counted. The world of Bavaria remained intact. Or?
The result: well
.
The record champions have three points more, but the 5: 2 (3: 1) away win at the Alte Försterei showed, despite its clarity: The 0: 5 from the cup against Gladbach was perhaps a little more than an industrial accident.
Click here for the match report.
The makings of a fearful opponent ?:
For Bayern, Union Berlin was well suited as an opponent after the recent embarrassment to prove itself.
Urs Fischer's team was fifth in the table at the start of the day and did not lose one of the previous 21 home games.
Last season Union was the only club that Bayern did not beat.
A real yardstick - but also an opponent against whom the Munich team have never lost.
The first half:
Bayern laid the foundation for it to stay that way with the help of the Berlin defense. Paul Jaeckel was responsible for a hand penalty, Robin Knoche a free kick in front of the goal. Robert Lewandowksi scored his goals this season eleven and twelve (15th / 23rd), Leroy Sané increased (35th). Up until the last few minutes before the break, the game was only going one way.
Finding the middle:
It doesn't get much more official: Even the Sky line-up graphic led Sané, who was a winger until a few months ago, before the duel against Union in the offensive center of the Bayern midfield. Under Julian Nagelsmann (who is still coaching from the home office due to corona), Sané continues to flourish, especially where his shirt number ten locates him. And his lively game shaped the game: In the first half alone, the national player shot five times on goal, scored himself, failed twice (31st / 34th) and got the penalty with a shot that Jaeckel blocked by hand (14th).
Kruse looks on:
Union was denied the luxury of placing a potential game decider in the offensive midfield. Max Kruse had not got fit in time with adductor problems and was worried during the half-time break on the Sky microphone that "something might tear off" if he went back to the stress too early. At the same time, he made his teammates responsible: It was significant that "our defender has to score the goal."
The second half:
After the break, Union appeared more self-confident - and Bayern showed defensive deficits time and again. First Becker tried (51.), then Manuel Neuer did not get a lifted pass from Taiwo Awoniyi in time and had to tackle the advanced Timo Baumgartl (52.). Awoniyi missed a first-class chance by centimeters after a flat Becker cross (53.), Becker in turn failed from an acute angle to Neuer (57.), Christopher Trimmel placed his distance volley too central (58.). In the middle of the Berlin assault, however, Kingsley Comans fell 4: 1 - the efficiency of the Munich team outweighed their nervousness.
Record and worry:
The reparations in the everyday league still succeeded, somehow.
For the substitute Dayot Upamecano, who had a sense of achievement with a solo run ahead of Thomas Müller's 5-1 after his mistakes against Gladbach, for the goalless offensive in the cup game for the first time anyway: 38 goals after ten games are a new Bundesliga record.
But especially the lack of stability in the middle, where Corentin Tolisso represented the ailing Leon Goretzka with moderate success, will continue to occupy Julian Nagelsmann - in the Champions League second leg against Benfica on Tuesday, but especially next Saturday in the home game against the still undefeated Sc freiburg.