MY ACCOUNT
Thomas Muller showed he remains indispensable to Bayern Munich as the veteran was thankful to play a full part in the 3-0 demolition of Union Berlin.
With two assists, setting up goals for Kingsley Coman and Jamal Musiala, the old man of Bayern’s midfield showed he can still deliver at the cutting edge.
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting got the first goal, with Bayern three to the good by the interval and the game essentially won. Musiala’s goal came on his 20th birthday, and the win came in the wake of a midweek team get-together amid a results crisis.
With Muller captaining the side in the absence of injured goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, he found himself sacrificed just 16 minutes into Bayern’s previous Bundesliga game at Borussia Monchengladbach after defender Dayot Upamecano was sent off.
Julian Nagelsmann sent on Joao Cancelo to strengthen the backline, and Bayern went on to lose 3-2 on that occasion as the 33-year-old Muller watched powerlessly, frustrated to have been hauled off so early.
“It’s clear that I didn’t enjoy it,” he said of that experience on Sunday, looking back.
But Muller stressed it also “wasn’t a huge issue”, telling DAZN: “The coach made the decision and of course every player – including me – always has the feeling that he can give the team something, even if he’s outnumbered, to win a game.
“We want to win a lot and it’s also about everyone accepting tough decisions in the interests of the team and showing the reaction the next day in training – and not showing off in any way.”
Bayern’s players gathered together this week for an evening team meeting, head coach Julian Nagelsmann revealed.
It came amid their dip in results, with Union and Borussia Dortmund joining leaders Bayern on the same points mark heading into the latest round of games, putting hopes of an 11th consecutive title in some peril.
However, Bayern swept Union aside dismissively, and while Muller came off for a rest in the 87th minute, it was with the job done and to acclaim. The meeting seems to have had a positive effect already.
Dortmund continue to keep pace with Bayern, and there is a Klassiker coming up that could tilt the title race either way, but Bayern showed enough against Union to suggest they are moving in the right direction again.
The expected goals comparison between the teams underlined Bayern’s dominance, with Nagelsmann’s team posting xG of 3.56 to Union’s meagre 0.35, reflecting the quality and volume of the chances that came their way.
Quoted further on Bayern’s official website, Muller said Bayern’s display against Union was “really lively”.
“For example, the way we managed to break free in attack. We need to be active like that,” he said. “We were always on the move and aggressive in the tackle. For me, it was a lot of fun to be so involved in such moments. It was a good game.
“We weren’t top at kick-off, so had to do something about that. It was a good step but counts for nothing next week. We have to deliver again. I’m happy we made that step. You have to play that way against Union. It was the first small step towards the kind of football we want to play.”
Nagelsmann described Bayern’s win as a “benchmark” result.
He added: “We were dominant in all areas. We had 10-12 big chances and gave little away.
“Union are not a team that give you many chances – that in itself makes it a good performance from us. We trained well and talked a lot. We wanted to show what we expect of ourselves. We played very well today.”
Confirming the players’ meeting, Nagelsmann said: “There was a team evening, which is nothing earth-shattering, but where the team talked about what they wanted. I think it bore fruit today.
“The medicine at Bayern is easy to administer: you just have to win, then it’s always calm. If you don’t win, there’s never calm.”
