0:3 defeat at Bayern
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1. FC Union clearly loses the top game in Munich
First defeat for 1. FC Union Berlin in 2023: The Köpenicker deservedly lose the top duel of the Bundesliga at Bayern Munich 0: 3. The game was already decided following the first half.
1. FC Union had aimed for the premiere win once morest series champions FC Bayern Munich – and in the end had to accept a clear defeat: The Köpenickers lost 0: 3 (0: 3) late Sunday followingnoon in the Allianz Arena. Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (31st), Kingsley Coman (40th) and Jamal Musiala (45th + 1) scored for Munich before the break. The record champion jumps back past Borussia Dortmund to the top of the table in the Bundesliga. For the Köpenicker it is the first defeat in 2023.
Union too passive, Müller stumbles
“You don’t actually get to pinch yourself because the next task is two or three days later,” said coach Urs Fischer before the game on the broadcaster DAZN. For this very next task he changed compared to the Europa League win once morest Ajax Amsterdam three times. Christopher Trimmel replaced Josip Juranovic in the starting line-up on the right flank. Morten Thorsby replaced Janik Haberer in midfield. And up front, Jordan got his chance from the start. Kevin Behrens initially sat on the bench.
The Köpenickers came under pressure from the start in the light snowfall in Munich. Bayern – irritated not least by a defeat in Gladbach on the previous day – pushed the Unioners into their own half with power pressing, yes: into their own penalty area. For Urs Fischer’s team, every hard-won ball was immediately lost once more. The record champions should have taken the lead in the sixth minute: Alphonso Davies played a strong pass in the sixteen to Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, who let FCU keeper Frederik Rönnow out and crossed it to Thomas Müller. But with a failed ball acceptance, the 33-year-old Bayern captain destroyed the great opportunity.
It took 15 minutes for Union to get in front of the Bayern goal for the first time. Aissa Laidouni plowed through the entire midfield to the edge of the box and passed the ball to Jerome Roussillon, but goalkeeper Yann Sommer was able to easily intercept his input. The offensive excursion remained an absolute exception. At least at first. Little by little, the Irons were able to free themselves from the very tight Bayern embrace, became – including with the first corner – a more regular guest in the opposing half and at least cautiously indicated their counterattack strength.
Three goals conceded in 15 minutes
At the back they always got a foot in between once morest Jamal Musiala and Co. – or goalkeeper Rönnow saved, as following 29 minutes once morest Müller, who tried to volley following a cross from Kingsley Coman. Shortly followingwards, however, the Dane had no chance to defend himself: this time Coman crossed from the right precisely at Choupo-Moting’s head, who effortlessly scored from five meters to make it 1-0 for the home side (31st).
The Munich team then continued to dominate the game. And yet Union came very close to equalizing following 37 minutes. After a Jordan-Becker combination, Laidouni got the ball in a central position in the penalty area. However, while his shot just swept over the bar, Bayern made it 2-0 three minutes later. A discount from Rönnow came back in a hurry. Matthijs de Ligt won the header duel in midfield, Müller passed on to Coman and it was easy for him. The Frenchman first circled the Union goalkeeper and then pushed in confidently. The bitter end of the first half from a Union perspective was yet to come: Coman and Müller played the Köpenicker dizzy in their own penalty area and Musiala completed the 3-0 half-time lead (45+1).
Davies misses 4-0, Bayern is a little (too) loose
After the break, neither the personnel nor the balance of power changed. Bayern continued to storm and had their next big chance in the 47th minute: Alphonso Davies shot from the inside left position, Rönnow was just able to prevent the 0:4. In the period that followed, Bayern took a little pressure from the offensive game – but without relinquishing control. Becker had one of the very rare chances for Union in the 58th minute when his shot – following preliminary work from Jordan and Thorsby – flew delicately over Yann Sommer’s goal.
After that, the home side were once more much closer to 4:0 than the Unioners were to 1:3. Müller following preliminary work from Coman (62nd) and, above all, substitute Sadio Mané (71st) had top opportunities – Rönnow cleared both of them with his head, both strongly and unconventionally. Shortly therefollowing, a long-range shot from Serge Gnabry rushed past the left post (72′). Noticeably tired Unioner – with four changes between the 60th and 70th minute – were lucky that the defeat was not more severe. Davies had Munich’s last big chance, but failed once more at Rönnow from a tight angle (86′).
The short analysis
1. FC Union had no chance in the top duel. The conclusion is so short and simple – and the players said it so clearly. “Bayern were two or three classes too strong for us today,” said Christopher Trimmel in an ARD interview. The Köpenickers played too passively and let themselves be pushed too deep into their own half from the start. Discharge? Completely non-existent. There was a lack of courage to look for the way forward despite all the desire for defensive stability. Actually, they had planned to do it differently, said Trimmel, only to admit soberly: “It doesn’t always work once morest such an opponent either.”
If keeper Frederik Rönnow hadn’t literally put his head down once morest Müller, Mané and Co. in the second half, five or six goals might have been conceded. From the outside, a lack of strength following the exhausting so-called English week might have been a logical (partial) explanation for this performance. But Trimmel didn’t want to accept that. “We addressed that right away. That wasn’t the reason. We did it badly, especially with the second and third goal we conceded. You can’t prevent every situation, but overall it wasn’t enough,” said the captain self-critically.
The live ticker to read
Broadcast: rbb24, February 26, 2023, 6:15 p.m
