As of: February 13, 2024, 5:22 a.m
By: Marius Epp, Christoph Wutz
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The frustration at FC Bayern is huge after the defeat against Leverkusen - especially for Thomas Müller.
The voices for the game.
Leverkusen – It was the game of games this Bundesliga season: Bayer Leverkusen hosted FC Bayern on matchday 21.
It was a real blow for the Munich team.
Thomas Müller was served accordingly and talked himself into a rage.
We summarize all the votes for the Sky game and from the Mixed Zone for you.
Thomas Müller (FC Bayern) after the game about...
... the bitter bankruptcy
(visibly pissed off)
:
“You have to congratulate Bayer Leverkusen, a deserved victory.
There are some symptoms that you can see on our pitch.
What I'm missing is... from us players.
In training we show significantly better approaches.
We play more freely there.
We have a mentality in the game.
We started well for ten minutes.
Get the ball to the other half.
Play a long ball and then we can deliver.”
... Sky reporter Wasserziehr's question about Tuchel's tactics:
“You don't need to shoot now.
We weren't there today.
There were enough players of international caliber on the pitch, so you don't even need to go to the coach.
Giving up on myself is not a new tactical approach.
The tactical approach has nothing to do with it.
We urgently need to improve and that’s what we will do
(leaves the interview)
.”
Thomas Müller was almost unstoppable after the Leverkusen defeat - Sky reporter Patrick Wasserziehr also felt that.
© Imago/eu-images
Xabi Alonso (coach Bayer Leverkusen) after the game about...
... his team's outstanding performance:
“The victory is deserved.
You have to be strong defensively against Bayern.
We did great, with a lot of discipline.
We gave almost no chance.
The performance was great.
Today all the players showed a high level and a great mentality.
I can't do it all alone, I have a top team behind me.
There is no secret.”
... the question of whether Leverkusen will become champions:
“We’ll talk in May.
We have to be realistic and have patience and keep our feet on the ground.
It doesn’t get any easier.”
Thomas Tuchel (FC Bayern) after the game about...
... the defeat:
“We allowed the momentum to change due to our own mistakes.
You can't concede 1-0 in a five-man chain.
That doesn't work.
Everyone is just sleeping.
But it didn't feel like a 3-0.
We get a goal that is too cheap at this level.
We lacked the clout and made incredibly bad decisions.”
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... the question of whether he blames himself for the tactical orientation:
“No, the decision was carefully considered.
We will do it like this again.
I take responsibility for this.
We don't know what would have happened if we had done it differently.
It's not like I think up something in private and then present it on game day.
We prepared for a week.
I had the support of the team, including Thomas
(Müller, editor’s note).”
... Thomas Müller's angry speech after the bankruptcy:
“He's right about a lot of things.
He suffered from the basic order today.
We have to keep going, we have to get better and live up to the standards that Thomas rightly sets out.”
... the prospects for the championship:
“We will do a damn thing and throw in the towel now.”
Josip Stanisic (Bayer Leverkusen) after the game about...
... the question of whether such a German champion is playing:
“We're not there yet, but we've taken a big step today.
We knew that the task was difficult and the standings in the table beforehand, but we focused on how we wanted to play.
Of course we can celebrate a bit now, but the season is still long and unfortunately we're only five points ahead."
... the feeling of scoring against his parent club, FC Bayern:
"That was a strange goal.
For me, every goal is strange because I don't score many.
Of course you're sorry, but I'm at Bayer Leverkusen this season."
... the question of whether he wanted to prove in the top game that he has the caliber for Bayern's first team:
"Of course.
Of course, when you go out on loan you know that you don't have what it takes.
But I also just wanted to prove it to myself.”
Christoph Freund (Sports Director FC Bayern) after the game about...
... the reasons for Bayern's defeat:
“Because we made far too many mistakes, especially with the ball, and gave away the goals far too easily.
When you see the first goal, from a throw-in, it's actually not a really dangerous situation.
And so you end up falling behind.
And right after the break it's 2-0.
We hardly created any chances to score, you have to be honest.
It wasn't enough against a strong Leverkusen."
... Bayern's problems and Thomas Müller's criticism of the team:
"Thomas is also right.
It's now its own story and has been saying for a long time that we're training really well and that a lot of things are working out.
And then in the game it doesn't look like that.
We make a lot of simple mistakes, nothing comes easy, moves don't really work out.
And especially when the opponent is a little deeper, we don't create any chances."
... the influence of the surprising formation on the result:
"You could see it, even against the ball: that wasn't bad.
We simply made Leverkusen strong through our own mistakes.
The trainers spent the whole week thinking about how they could implement this correctly.
It looked like that, but it wasn't because of the basic order.
There was actually a good plan behind it, how we could always defend out and then switch.
But then we didn't manage to get it on the field."
... Bayern's chances of winning the championship:
"Leverkusen are doing extremely well, they are now five points ahead.
We have to make sure we win our games.
But we no longer have it in our own hands.”
Xabi Alonso (coach Bayer Leverkusen) before the game about ...
... Pressure before the top game:
“We need an almost perfect performance against Bayern.
We are prepared.
We showed that we can play big games.
We have to show that today.
There is always pressure.
The most important thing is that we play our football.”
... his lineup:
“I have enough options.
Today I decided that this setup is the best.
We have confidence.”
Thomas Tuchel (FC Bayern coach) before the game about ...
... the surprising lineup:
“We are convinced that it is the best approach.
You are probably also surprised by Leverkusen's line-up." Tuchel decided early on who would play: "On Wednesday," he reveals.
... Manuel Neuer, who is in the starting line-up:
“Yesterday after training, Manu gave the signal that he was starting.
That's a good sign."
... the exact formation:
“I can’t tell you here, the game is too important for that.”
... the decision for Pavlovic and Goretzka and against Kimmich:
“We left them both together.
Josh came into training this week and trained 100 percent without any symptoms.
Nevertheless, the duels in the game are different.
We didn’t have to take any final risks, we can finish the game with Josh.”
... Thomas Müller's banking center:
“Slightly different basic structure, slightly different approach.
Therefore one less position at the front.”
The top game against Leverkusen is also not a Müller game for Thomas Tuchel.
© IMAGO/Frank Hoermann/SVEN SIMON
... the meaning of the game:
“We have to, that’s our claim.
We are further away from our top level than Leverkusen.
It feels like this is the moment to push our level.
We can do that.
Not with the consistency like Leverkusen.
Leverkusen are always underdogs against us.
It's one of those evenings where you can take the next step.
And we have to do that too.”
Julian Nagelsmann (national coach) before the game about ...
... the fact that he misses the Bundesliga:
“At least I always enjoyed it.
Of course, you're currently a little more relaxed on the sidelines than when you're in action, but I've always enjoyed being a coach in the Bundesliga."
... what sets Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso apart:
“He has a lot of experience as a player and a lot of success.
I've read a lot that he played around a bit at the beginning of his term in office and was probably very impressive.
He is and was an outstanding footballer.
He also had many very good coaches in his career, which certainly helped him on his way.
I think that he will also be well received by the team as a person.”
... a possible exchange with Thomas Tuchel because of the national players:
“Of course there is.
I also know a few other employees at FC Bayern who can give me information about players.
In the end, the idea was to get an idea for ourselves without calling every club coach.
Otherwise you'll quickly put a player in a drawer.
If we move towards the European Championships, there will certainly be more intensive exchange.”
... the lineups of both teams:
“I was surprised, I wouldn't have guessed it like that for both of them.
In the end, it is outstanding coaches who analyzed the respective opponents and then came to these decisions.
I’m very excited about the approaches.”
... the different perceptions of the coaches:
“I think it has a lot to do with the history of the clubs.
For example, if you work at a club that is always successful and, from the outside, there are bumps in the road at one point or another, you will be viewed more critically.
At Bayern, everything is always under strict control and observation.
At Leverkusen the season is outstanding and the football is very attractive.
Thomas has been at many big clubs and is under enormous pressure.
Xabi is still a fairly young coach.
Then of course you will be looked at differently than at a club where you are basically not allowed to do anything other than always win.”
... the question of whether it is easier to train Leverkusen?:
“I don't know whether it is easier.
Definitely different.
At Bayern you are challenged differently on many issues, including dealing with the players, than in Leverkusen or Leipzig.”
... what makes the players Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz different:
“The interesting thing about both players is that they have something special.
Both Jamal and Florian are not run-of-the-mill players where you can already see what they are playing.
Both are, in a very positive way, street footballers.
You don't worry about whether a dribble will work.
We go to the stadium to see players like that.
And I hope that they will perform similarly at the European Championships as they did at their clubs.
I was always bad at calculating percentages, but we are doing everything we can to ensure that both of them achieve a high percentage of their performance at the European Championships.”
... his opinion as to which team is the better:
“That can be answered well after the game.
Now that I’m on the journalist side, I’m treating myself to the great privilege of assessing it after the game.”
... the fact that he was fired as Bayern coach after a defeat in Leverkusen:
I hope that Bayern plays better today.
Sitting here now, I don’t have the thought that I was sacked after the game.”
... his tip for the result:
“A late 3:3.”
Before the big game: Leverkusen and FCB are in a neck-and-neck race for the title
FC Bayern Munich will be challenged in the BayArena on Saturday.
Although Thomas Tuchel's team has already suffered two setbacks this season - against Eintracht Frankfurt and Werder Bremen - they are still lurking close behind the Rhinelanders in second place with 50 points.
Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel commented on the top game at Bayer Leverkusen shortly before kick-off.
© Imago / MIS
Bundesliga summit between Leverkusen and Bayern: All comments on the game
Before the encounter, the Bayern coach had four line-up puzzles to solve.
Tuchel and other protagonists from the two clubs commented on this and some other topics relating to the top game before the game.
National coach Julian Nagelsmann also speaks in front of the camera.
(epp/wuc)