Pre-match: (CL - Quarterfinals - 1st leg): Manchester United v Bayern Munich 01/04/14

At this point it's all about the CL. If Pep loses to United with Moyes, that's a huge failure in his first year. Especially losing to such a shitty team that's been everyone's plaything in the EPL from any of the top teams. Good news is that United at home created only 2 chances the entire game, one of which resulted in the goal. Problem was how lackluster we were offensively creatively speaking and with little ugency.

 

He was certainly not double-teamed in the 2nd half! He simply wasn't able to beat his man most of the time and his moves were laughable! Stuff I wouldn't expect from Valencia

If Shaqiri played like Robben did we would have been told over and over as to how he is not Bayern quality

 

I would consider it a failure...

Our biggest rivals weren't that strong this season and bvb had half their team decimated..

Our season would not be defined by our dominance of a weakened league...

 

Please do this! You would be a legend.

 

After a good night sleep so that I wouldn't have to worry about overreacting like a lot of people here, I will share my thoughts on this match.

1. I thought the team was lacking in intensity and most likely the players, despite what they said in the press, clearly underestimated Manchester United. The first 45 minutes of this match resembled a training session. No pace or urgency, lots of flicks and passes but no incisiveness. It seemed as if the team thought that we could get a result here with minimal effort. Technically we did get a positive result, but given the form of these two sides, and the gulf in class between the two sets of players, anything other than a win should be considered a failure on our part.

2. Our pressing was immaculate yesterday. Even at what looked like half speed we were able to win the ball back almost immediately after it was lost. A big part of that was probably the conservative positioning of players like Ribery and Robben who rarely tried to get in behind the defense. I think we will see ManU breaking more often in the AA because of this. I highly doubt our offensive positioning will be so conservative next week.

3. The high line played fairly well, and if not for a slip by Boateng it was basically flawless. Martinez struggled a bit with the pace of ManU's attackers and that is worrying, but he just needs more match time. Overall it was a good performance by our defense with the exception of the set piece from which they scored. None of our players attacked the ball and it is just criminal to allow such a good header of the ball to get a free shot on goal like that.

4. I am not worried about the match at the AA. For once we will have something to play for at home, and I have a feeling that the team will come out with much more intensity. I look for Pep to make a couple of changes to the attacking moves and to ask his creative players to take more risks going forward. Not just in taking on players, but in making runs in behind the defense.

 

I hope your right

 

I know you guys love to shit on Manchester United and their horrendous season, but they are still Manchester United. Big teams often play in big games.

 

In my opinion the squad needs to shift back into a 100% gear in all matches, because I hate these laziness of playing 20 - 30 min playing properly while the rest of the match gets slept over. Not saying this was the reason yesterday, but I want that dedication of last season back and part of that is go for each game

 

We're Bayern. Domestic is for small teams....like our rivals.

 

CL soccer is becoming so boring lately. No one wants to commit first in fear of making a mistake and no one is willing to open up the game unless they have to. Too defensive for my tastes.

 

becoming? 1st leg is usually always the least interesting one compared to the 2nd leg

 

Failure would be putting it mildly! It would be a colossal disgrace and a big blot on Guardiola's CV we don't pay €17 odd mio just to win the league if that was all we might have as well rehired Felix Magath or not send Juup into retirement. The credibility of our league is already being questioned at every turn and losing to this Man U (sans RVP) would just be the coup de grace. I could stomach a fluky final loss but over two legs? Lol I refuse to even entertain the thought! It just can't happen

I believe Guardiola and the players would storm back in the 2nd half. We are just better than them

 

Not CL. Football in general at the highest stage has become more conservative. Look at WC for example.

 

Perhaps the super reactionary firing of coaches has something to do with this.

 

This was a typical David Moyes' team performance, this is what he excelled at, at Everton; soaking pressure, defending robustly and then hitting the opponent on the break. This, combined with our uncharacteristic finishing resulted in ManU salvaging something out of the tie.

Ribery was playing centrally too often, which might have been because Kroos was playing deeper than usual. This, imo was the result of that initial disallowed goal and ManU's evident game plan to hit us on the break.

 

Maybe. Maybe also the athleticism and pace of football, making attacking players more potent made defensive tactics more aware. I think Greece 2004 was also a change changer in this regard.

 

Okay. But regardless, the official chose not to card the theatrics of Wayne. He simply chose to card Piggy, most likely because he had just had reason to only moments prior. Just so silly no matter how you look at it.

Rooney's LeBroning was a con job, I think we all agree on that.

 

CL football has been conservative for as long as I can remember. When top sides came up against one another in the knock out rounds you rarely see open games. This is true going by the past 15 years of CL that I have watched.

 

Which arse cheek would you prefer us to kiss of yours in "thanks" for providing (a) Kagawa to Man U and allowing him to get a game for a change as they have rendered him ineffective, or (b) Goetze to us (and Lewandowski) because your ineffective front office tactics to ever consider that reamping these two's contracts may have provided you a sound base for years to come?

I for one never expected a blow-out, but every BVB fan I know did. Its the Champions League, Manchester United has some pride left and clearly do not want to now exit out of the only remaining bit of glory they have remaining for 2014. Their fans are behind their team 100% despite the odds.

In contrast to the number of BVB fans I have talked to that are already excusing themselves from winning against Real or against Bayern in the next couple of weeks.

Enjoy the highs while they last. I certainly am.

 

Great post btw...

I interpreted the lack of intensity as nerves to be honest. Aside from BVB's home grounds, what atmosphere does Bayern have to play in that is as intense as Old Trafford? Given the "last chance" that the CL represents for Man U and their most recent results, I knew this game would not nearly as comfortable as so many made it out to be. It never is: have soccer fans not learned?!!! LOL.

The highline against a team not typically known for countering was a risk in my opinion and it nearly bit us in the arse! Müller starting over Mandzukic was also a risk as Mario would have made the pressing even more monstrous and bullied the aging CB's of Man U way better than Thomas - who I felt was insignificant.

I also am not concerned with the next game, but optimistically cautious. As we know, the away goal is HUGE, and anything with a clean sheet will do in Munich.

We shall see.

 

Possible. Their fans were incredible yesterday, hopefully Bayern fans are just as loud a week from now. I think we will win but am quite wary. I certainly felt more confident before the first match than I do now, even though normally 1-1 is the perfect away result. I think I, along with other Bayern fans have been spoiled by arguably the most dominant CL winners I can even remember from last year.

 

I thought the atmosphere was pretty weak to be honest. For the majority of the match the only singing you could hear on the TV broadcast was coming from the Bayern fan section. There was a hilarious moment when the camera panned up and showed the away fans bouncing and singing and the idiot American commenter pointed out how that was an example of the great home fans showing up. LOL

The home fans were great at cheering any clearance or any time ManU crossed the half way line, but that's about it.

A great example of our lack of risk taking is seen in the match stats. Not one time was a player from Bayern whistled for offside. Not once.

The highline is something that's here to stay. If you are going to press like Bayern does, and try to win the ball back before the other team reaches the half way line, then you have to play a high line with no space between midfield and defense.

 

A troubling tidbit for me is the past history of Bayern in the quarters. Typically Bayern has been bossing the first leg, which clearly didn't happen yesterday. Last season first leg away to Juventus, a command performance in an 0-2 victory. In 11-12 another dominant show 0-2, this time away to Marseille. By most accounts this Bayern side is better than those two and the competition (United) is much less than that Scudetto winning Juventus club last season. I would hazard that this United team isn't much better than the Marseille side from 11-12 that finished in 10th in Ligue 1. In both of those first legs Bayern was clearly the more ambitious, dominant side and possession stats and number of passes be damned, yesterday Bayern wasn't clearly better than Moyes' United....