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Joshua Kimmich and Niklas Süle don't seem particularly satisfied
Photo:
ANDREAS GEBERT / REUTERS
In the lower tier, block 106, row 1, there was a great rush.
Thomas Müller had just given his last television interviews and was on his way back to the dressing room when a few dozen spectators positioned themselves for a selfie.
Müller stood patiently and gave some nervous fans helpful tips for the right position and the perfect angle for the picture.
For some viewers, it just didn't work right away.
Just like at FC Bayern on Wednesday, a lot didn't work out and it took a long time until the redeeming moment of happiness.
Until the equalizer in the ninetieth minute to make it 1-1 at RB Salzburg.
Of course, after the nasty 2:4 in Bochum, this draw wasn't another debacle, no embarrassment.
With a clear playful superiority, with 72 percent ball possession, with 22:11 chances, Kingsley Coman's last-minute goal was well deserved, you saw a better team than on Saturday.
But you still haven't seen FC Bayern as you know them and as they like to portray themselves.
And certainly not FC Bayern, which in this condition as a contender for winning the Champions League scares the international competition.
This is how Bayern are playing out of the circle of favourites.
Amazing accumulation of slips
"It's not what you want to see at Bayern," said coach Julian Nagelsmann after the end of the game.
»Not in the media, not from the fan side, not within the club.«
The game in Salzburg revealed fundamental problems that are currently affecting the club, Julian Nagelsmann.
It's about wrong decisions, a lack of competition, a lack of communication and, in the long term, an urgently needed consensus on transfer issues.
A common philosophy on which those responsible cannot seem to agree at the moment.
Bayern are currently working on many open construction sites.
In the first half of the season, games like Gladbach's cup defeat (0:5) and two league defeats against Augsburg and Frankfurt (1:2 each) could still be classified as bearable, but the number of slip-ups now seems astonishing.
Only three wins from the six competitive games in the young calendar year 2022. What is going wrong there?
some.
There is a problem with the defence.
Dayot Upamecano, who was indisposed in Bochum, remained on the bench on Wednesday, but others made a mistake.
Before Salzburg's opening goal, for example, the situation didn't seem dangerous at all, Bayern were outnumbered, 5:3 in terms of players.
And yet it was then 0:1 on goals.
'It wasn't difficult to defend,' Nagelsmann grumbled, 'we could have gained access quickly.
We were great in terms of numbers, just not in terms of positioning.
We weren't poisonous enough."
There is too little talk
Clear announcements to the defensive trio around Lucas Hernández, who was far too easily outplayed by Karim Adeyemi, to Niklas Süle and Benjamin Pavard, who stood around too passively before Adamu scored.
The big shortcoming here: the lack of communication, the non-existent agreements and speeches in defense.
"We still have to make significant gains in coaching," says Nagelsmann.
It has actually become much too quiet on defense, Pavard, Süle, Hernández, it often seems as if everyone is doing their thing, as if they are not talking to each other at all.
On evenings like this in Salzburg, it becomes clear how clearly and loudly audible announcements from an undisputed defense chief, David Alaba, are missing from FC Bayern.
In addition, there are serious problems in the game structure.
Joshua Kimmich, again rather mediocre, had just as little wit as Corentin Tolisso.
Far too many turnovers by Leroy Sané and Serge Gnabry, hectic passes without opposing pressure.
Unforced errors.
Thomas Müller later spoke of "wrong decisions".
Although they would have had a lot of time to make the right decisions with a lot of space and large rooms thanks to a surprisingly withdrawn Salzburg defense.
It used to be better.
»We are currently not in the flow«
Joshua Kimmich showed just how much the Bavarians had lost their sovereign self-image.
He brought back the word "mentality," which was often heard in such phases, into play.
That's exactly what you need.
"We mustn't think that everything will work itself out in the Bundesliga again," he said in the direction of Sunday's game against Fürth.
"We're not in flow right now."
Probably not because there is a lack of pressure on the staff, as Nagelsmann showed on Tuesday.
Due to numerous injuries, "one or the other can be pretty sure that he will play," says the Bayern coach.
"Then the necessary friction doesn't always occur."
You would create such a new competitive situation by bringing in new players, but Nagelsmann explained surprisingly openly that he was recently unable to agree internally with club boss Kahn and sporting director Salihamidžić on new signings.
The tough stuff is still waiting
"There has to be a common consensus among everyone involved, but it wasn't there in winter and that's why we didn't do anything." And further: "It's no use if Brazzo wants a player but I don't.
Or if I want a player, but Olli doesn't.« It is all the more urgent that they agree on upcoming commitments for the new season in the summer - which of course doesn't help anymore this season.
They have to make do with what they have right now.
Which isn't that bad, but isn't playing that well at the moment.
Talking about sudden uncertainty in a top European team in mid-February, about a lack of flow, poor positional play and wrong decisions is really not a good time - before the three crucial months of the season.
Such a performance might be enough for Salzburg in the second leg.
Then other teams come.
Paris.
Real.
man city
Liverpool.
Before Julian Nagelsmann got on the bus to get into the first video analysis on the one and a half hour drive home to Munich, he said one more unmistakable sentence: "We still have something to do to be able to keep up with Europe's elite."
Nobody wanted to contradict that after this evening.