“Victim” Gnabry? What Nagelsmann could change in Salzburg
After the gossip in Bochum, FC Bayern is required to react in Salzburg. What does coach Julian Nagelsmann do on Wednesday?
Lessons from Bochum: Does Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann sacrifice an offensive player?
imago images/Sven Simon
In order not to be disappointed again on Sunday afternoon, Julian Nagelsmann had already expected Borussia Dortmund to win at Union Berlin on Saturday and reduce the gap to FC Bayern to six points.
BVB took the Munich template from Bochum again, as they did on matchday 18 in the 3-2 win in Frankfurt, when FCB had previously lost the start of the second half of the season against Gladbach.
We shouldn’t lose tension.
Joshua Kimmich asked the mentality question after the low blow to the promoted team, but also said that the bankruptcy in Bochum would have happened in the Bundesliga fortunately. Where a “title fight” hasn’t actually been spoken of for weeks. Nagelsmann nevertheless warns: “We shouldn’t lose tension.”
First English week for Bayern in 2022
Especially not now, when for the first time in this calendar year an English week is waiting for the record champions. FC Bayern cannot afford to slip up in Salzburg, otherwise Nagelsmann’s first year, no matter how brilliant it is sometimes, threatens to end on an uncomfortable note. A failure in the Champions League could not be excused in the round of 16, despite all the class that Salzburg also brings to the pitch.
Which offensive player becomes Nagelsmann’s “victim”?
After all, the team, who was without tension on Saturday, did their coach a favour: Unlike in the past few weeks, Nagelsmann could again “sacrifice” one of his five offensive players in favor of stability on Wednesday (9 p.m., LIVE! at kicker) with a clear conscience. Logically, Robert Lewandowski will not be hit, nor will Thomas Müller.
Should Nagelsmann return to the 4-2-3-1, Serge Gnabry is most likely to come out for Corentin Tolisso, the second six. Despite a goal in Berlin and an assist against Leipzig, the national player rarely impressed in the second half of the season. After Lewandowski, Kingsley Coman was still the liveliest factor in an offensive that found no solutions against aggressive Bochumers – although the spaces were there.
“Maybe run once”: Nagelsmann bitter realization
Because both VfL central defenders were concentrating on Lewandowski, a space was created behind Amel Bella-Kotchap and Maxim Leitsch, “that we might have one day,” as Nagelsmann stated with dismay, although he had predicted “that Bochum would play very well in home games has defended. There are better ways of doing that.”
February 13, 202205:45 minutes
kicker weekend view from February 13th, 2022
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If the three-man chain stays in Salzburg, Dayot Upamecano will probably sit on the bench again. The Frenchman had another devastating day at work on Saturday and still doesn’t live up to a €42.5m price tag. “We don’t have to talk about individuals,” said Nagelsmann after his fifth competitive defeat as Bayern coach, but the question of quality in defense will be allowed. Again and again, bungling actions led to goals being conceded.
It was just an overall package in the first half, that’s not possible.
FCB had never conceded three goals in the first half against a promoted team, this time it was four. “It was just a shitty game,” Nagelsmann summarized and didn’t want to speak of a warning signal. “It was just an overall package in the first half that doesn’t work.” Especially not on Wednesday.
