With progress in both German Cup and Champions League on the line and a deficit in the Bundesliga, the next month looks key to Bayern Munich's season. Niko Kovac thinks some of his star men should return just in time.
Image: Reuters/R. Orlowski
Advertisement
Bayern Munich's autumn of discontent began after a win over Schalke in late September, with losses to Hertha Berlin, Borussia Mönchengladbach and home draws against Augsburg and Ajax leading to much naval-gazing and speculation over Niko Kovac's future.
On Wednesday, the German champions travel to Berlin again, this time in the German Cup, ahead of a 25-day period that also features the reverse of those Bundesliga fixtures and a trip to face Liverpool in the Champions League.
While a similar set of results would do Kovac's stock no favors, an acceptance among the Bayern hierarchy that structural change is required to overhaul a somewhat stale squad is likely to mean the spotlight is a little less intense on the Croatian coach this time around.
Big names on the road to recovery
But a repeat of those results would still be close to unthinkable, particularly domestically. With Borussia Dortmund showing unexpected consistency to hold a six point league in the Bundesliga, and Liverpool favorites in the Champions League tie despite recent wobbles, the German Cup perhaps takes on a greater significance than usual for the Bavarians.
Vedad Ibisevic scores from the spot in Hertha Berlin's Bundesliga win over Bayern in SeptemberImage: Getty Images/AFP/O. Andersen
At his press conference on Tuesday, Kovac said goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who missed Saturday's defeat to Leverkusen, "Feels good. He'd like to play straight away, but we need the all clear from the doctors."
Fellow veterans Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery were also back on the training pitches at Sabener Strasse this week, with Spanish playmaker Thiago also close to full fitness after missing Saturday's match. Neither Robben or Ribery have played since December and Leon Goretzka, Bayern's player of the month for January admits that the side need their senior figures in a crucial period.
"They're extremely important players for us, they give us a special quality and we'll need them in the coming weeks as well," the midfielder said.
Corentin Tolisso has also begun to train individually after suffering a cruciate ligament injury in September while a minor ankle injury to Renato Sanches is the only other concern ahead of Wednesday's clash.
With games coming thick and fast, and Thomas Müller suspended for both legs of the Liverpool tie, squad depth is likely to play a part for Bayern, particularly while they're still alive in all three competitions.
But Kovac says that, regardless of who is selected and who is fit, Bayern must show an improvement if they want to salvage something from a difficult season.
‘We have to quickly improve things that didn’t work against Leverkusen," he said. "We know the quality is there, we have to be more compact. We’ve already given away 12 points after we took the lead. I don’t know when the last time that happened at Bayern was."
Bundesliga Matchday 20: Roundup
Borussia Dortmund gained ground in the title race despite dropping points in Frankfurt. That was because Bayern Munich, the defending Bundesliga champions, suffered a surprise result in Leverkusen.
Image: imago/DeFodi/R. Krivec
Stuttgart 2-2 Freiburg
Florian Niederlechner's injury time strike earned Freiburg a draw and denied Stuttgart a priceless win. The visitors took an early lead through Janik Haberer, but the hosts turned the game on its head in the final 15 minutes, through strikes from Emiliano Insua and Daniel Didavi. Stuttgart had Mario Gomez sent off late on for an elbow and then conceded at the death when Niederlechner tapped in.
Image: imago/Eibner/T. Weller
Augsburg 3-0 Mainz
Alfreo Finnbogason scored a hat-trick as Augsburg disposed of Mainz in ruthless fashion. Finnbogason scored twice from the spot in the first half and added a third after the break on a snowy Sunday afternoon in Bavaria. It was the Icelandic striker's first goals since November, and helps drag them four points clear of the relegation playoff place. The defeat is Mainz's first in five games.
Image: imago/DeFodi/R. Krivec
Schalke 0-2 Gladbach
Even though Alexander Nübel was sent off in the second half, Schalke still looked good for a point. That was until, with five minutes to go, Christoph Kramer's deflected half-volley ended up in the top corner. In the end, a game that looked likely to end in a draw for a long time was won by the smarter side. Florian Neuhaus added a second late on to add gloss to the scoreline.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/I. Fassbender
Leverkusen 3-1 Bayern Munich
The home side came to play on Saturday, blowing the defending Bundesliga champions away in the second half. Leon Goretzka gave the visitors an early lead with his fourth goal in three games, but Leon Bailey, Kevin Volland (pictured) and Lucas Alario all scored to give Leverkusen their first home victory of 2019 and under Peter Bosz.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/F. Gambarini
Eintracht Frankfurt 1-1 Borussia Dortmund
Marco Reus put the Bundesliga leaders ahead in the first half after linking up with Raphael Guerreiro. But Luka Jovic (third from left) leveled the score moments later, using all of his 1.81-meter (5-foot-11) frame to score the equalizer. The two sides shared the points in the end, marking just the fifth occasion this season in which Dortmund have dropped points.
Image: Reuters/K. Pfaffenbach
Hannover 0-3 RB Leipzig
Leipzig tightened their grip on the fourth Champions League place with a comfortable win against Hannover. Marcel Halstenberg (left) scored the opener from the penalty spot in first-half stoppage time and captain Willi Orban added two second half goals — the second a bullet header from a corner — to secure three points. It also meant defeat for Thomas Doll in his first game in charge of Hannover.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/S. Pförtner
Hoffenheim 1-1 Fortuna Düsseldorf
Andrej Kramaric (left) converted a penalty, his ninth goal of the season, to give the home side a first-half lead. But Rouwen Hennings equalized shortly after the break, heading in a Kevin Stöger lob. The two sides settled for a draw in the end, leaving Hoffenheim still winless at home in 2019.
Image: Getty Images/Bongarts/Kaspar-Bartke
Nuremberg 1-1 Werder Bremen
Mikael Ishak celebrated his late equalizer with Nuremberg's loyal supporters. Johannes Eggestein had put the visitors in front, but Ishak slotted home a spectacular effort to level the score four minutes from time. The 1-1 result ended a six game losing streak for "Der Club," but they have still not won a game since September 2018.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/D. Karmann
Hertha Berlin 0-1 Wolfsburg
Wolfsburg snatched an important away victory on a wet, snowy day in Berlin's Olympic Stadium. Wout Weghorst (pictured) tapped in the only goal of the game, his seventh in the Bundesliga. The Wolves have won four of their last six games and remain in contention for a Europa League spot.
Image: Getty Images/Bongarts/M. Rose
9 images1 | 9
If Bayern are to return to Berlin once more for the German Cup final in May, Kovac needs the end of winter to be less bleak than autumn.
