Hitz Can Hummels Akanji Meunier Dahoud Delaney Passlack Brandt Haaland Reus Bürki and Sancho will miss the game and I'm worried we'll get totally outclassed in midfield. I also expect trouble against their fast wingers as our CBs and the FB counterparts cannot match that speed. It's an even less meaningful game than usual because previously it was at least the last test before the official games. But the basics in how we play will be more important than the result. I'm conflicted about games against Bayern. It's either a chance for some players to win bonus points with Favre or what is more likely, the team collectively fails against the current CL winner. It always feels like a setup to fail when those who who barely got playing time in the previous matches suddenly get to start against tough opponents.
Passlack is clearly the weakest link in our line-up. Panics when he has the ball at his feet way too often.
2:1 for Bayern at halftime. Football is pretty decent from us but we defended bad in at least 3-4 situations. The Brandt goal was nice but the way we conceded the goals was just bad. It also feels as if the teams needs to get used to Hakimi not being there anymore. I think Meunier's end speed isn't that slow but Hakimi was just that much faster and the passes to Meunier are played with another player in mind.
Meunier blows the chance for the equalizer. Either make the easy pass to the pk spot for almost a tap in or at least get a shot on goal...
3:2 for Bayern in the end. I think we were better in the second half and should have taken the lead. A bad mistake resulted in Bayern's lucky winner. Both teams weren't invested 100% and maybe fitness was an issue. Haaland, Reus and Brandt were subbed which didn't make it easier to find an answer once Bayern scored.
That was a very good performance and we played the way we should do. Lots of our players stood out. Haaland and Dahoud to name but two. We didn't just sit deep but we went at them and pressed. The team selection was spot on too. Against Bayern away it's acceptable to play Delanay. Passlack showed he can't compete at this level, but we don't expect him too really. Meunier, Akanji and Delaney struggled too. The only disappointing thing is the way we sat back after equalising. From the 70 minute with the subs we didn't have the quality. I hope Favre plays with the same intensity. The only change for Saturday should be Sancho for Delaney, with Brandt dropping deeper.
Favre sub Haaland is world class... Wow.. I think Favre is getting old and his brain aint functioning well anymore..
So frustrating! Overall we played better than last game. Mo Dahoud was amazing. He adds much more offense from the center midfield. Delaney too, compared to Witsel, although he does make more bad passes that Witsel, it has to be said. I liked Favre's setup, but then came the substitutions. Why the F is he taking out Meunier and leaving Passlack who is waaaaaaay below BVB level. That was terrible. Why take out Haaland? I do understand subbing Reus and Brandt however because they often can't play a full 90. I think Favre was saving the players for the next league game, which I think is a bad mistake. Beating Bayern would have played a huge role mentally for us, and for showing the rest of the BL that they are beatable. Not to mention the nominal trophy. The pressing was great! The confidence was bad. Too many times where players are just inviting each other to go for the ball, only for it to end up with Bayern. This can be interpreted as bad luck, but there was a lot of hesitation. Need a better motivator.
Yea, that Haaland substitution confused the daylights out of me ... I can understand the other two, but of the three he looked the most dangerous and a out for the team to get ahead. They were on the ascendency too and should have been pressing for the winner. Reinier sat a little too deep, and it just took the impetus out of the team to push on. A win there would have completely altered their mentality going into the season, and dispelled that aura of invincibility Bayern have had this 2020 ... not bad, but dissapointing.
It was apparent that Reinier is just simply not a suitable striker option as he wanders way too deep centrally where he is much more comfortable at but then clogs up any available space.
The takeaway from this match is that if BVB can press Bayern into errors and score goals off of the ensuing turnovers, they should be able to do the same against other Bundesliga sides with regularity.
I think Favre is in over his head, and should be let go off. I really like him as a person, and I don't think he is a terrible coach ... but he seems to have lost it along the way. There is something not quite right with the way he handles the team. It's hard to say from an outsiders' perspective, but something just feels missing ...
If he does he should be fired on the spot. Especially with Dahoud and Brandt not (unlikely to play for the next couple of weeks.)
Closer then expected due to the players willing to win despite Favre bad plan and lineup... Expected another though game this weekend against Freiburg. It should be the case but with a LF team nothing is ever predictable in the worse possible way...
Favre wanted to save his players for tomorrow's game, instead of going for it after we equalized. He withdrew the starters. In fact, I'm starting to think that his starting of Dahoud --which I really liked and which helped make us look so good-- was along the same line of saving the starters for tomorrow. We'll see tomorrow if that is indeed the case. If any of you here listen to the Gab and Juls podcast (from ESPN) they were baffled that he did that and were questioning his decisions. Good indications that this forum general opinion of him is not just the result of an echo chamber effect BTW- Gab and Juls offer great opinion in general on different football matters.
I don't know. If you come from a culture where calling something a "title" makes it valuable, then it's totally fair to call out Favre for load-managing Haaland and not going all in for the win. On the other hand, Favre pointed out that "we won the Supercup last year, and no one remembers" - which is entirely true as well. It's going to be a long and grueling schedule, and BVB needs to make the most of its one big advantage relative to Bayern, which is squad depth.
Look at how Bayern celebrated their win, and how Kimich celebrated his goal. That should tell you how much it means to them. I'm not so big on the "title" as much as on beating Bayern. We have a much bigger chance of beating Freiburg with a weaker team than Bayern. It's only one game that I'm asking to focus on, not an entire competition. Anyways, Favre indeed thinks that Bellingham is better/more ready than Dahoud, and the same for Reyna over Brandt, as the lineup for Freiburg game is out. I hope it won't be a flat performance.