Nine days away from challenging Paris SG at the Parc des Princes in the round of 16 first leg of the Champions League, Bayern were under double pressure on Sunday, starting with the competition embodied by Union Berlin, provisional leader on Saturday evening after their victory. against Mainz (2-1), and Borussia Dortmund, tied after correcting Freiburg (5-1).

On the evening of the 19th day, Bayern retains the lead (40 against 39) over Union Berlin, and the three over Dortmund (37).

In addition, the tenfold champions of Germany in title resume four points ahead of Leipzig (36), held in check in Cologne (0-0).

Sunday at the Volkswagen Arena in Wolfsburg, Bayern took control of the game very quickly, leading by three goals after twenty minutes.

Frenchman Kingsley Coman scored twice (9th and 14th), and Thomas Müller celebrated his 427th game with Bayern, Gerd Müller's record equaled, with a headed goal (19th), ideally served from a free kick by Joshua Kimmich .

Julian Nagelsmann's players then got scared in defense, conceding a goal from Jakub Kaminski before the break (44th), and suffered in the second half, reduced to ten in the 54th minute, after a second yellow card for Joshua Kimmich .

Many injured

But they held on in numerical inferiority, and regained a three-goal lead on a superb solo raid by Jamal Musiala (73rd).

The last twenty minutes taking into account additional time were complicated for the Munich residents, with the reduction of the score of Mattias Svanberg (81st), but they resisted somehow.

They thus hardly put an end to a series of three matches without a victory in the league.

On Sunday, Julian Nagelsmann had to deal with many absent players (Dayot Upamecano, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, Ryan Gravenberch), who added to the long-term injuries (Manuel Neuer, Lucas Hernandez, Sadio Mané, Noussair Mazraoui).

In recent days, unrest has been felt off the pitch, after Manuel Neuer's very strong criticism in two interviews with The Athletic and the Süddeutsche Zeitung of the club's management, after the dismissal of the goalkeeping coach and very close to Neuer, Toni Tapalovic, on January 24.

"It was a blow for me, when I was already on the ground. It's as if my heart had been ripped out", explained the German international goalkeeper (37 years old at the end of March), unavailable until the end of March. end of the season after a serious injury (fracture of the lower part of the right leg) during a ski outing on December 9.

Sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic blamed Neuer on Sunday for putting his personal interests above the interests of the club.

"As captain, I would have expected a different attitude from him," added the former Bayern player in the weekly Bild am Sonntag.

Before the meeting in Wolfsburg, coach Julian Nagelsmann told broadcaster DAZN: "I've said it many times before, he's the best goalkeeper in the world. I hope he comes back in shape, for the future, we'll see".

© 2023 AFP