After Milan comes Heidenheim: FC Bayern has been warned about its next Bundesliga challenge.
The Bundesliga will never be business as usual for 1. FC Heidenheim, which is one of the many differences between the small club from the Brenz and the mighty FC Bayern. “The Bundesliga will always be something special,”
The FC Bayern pros may not necessarily see it that way, but the situation ahead of the trip to the Ostalb is still special. After being knocked out of the Champions League by Inter Milan, the focus is now on achieving the minimum goal of winning the championship. Considering the title-less previous season, that wouldn’t be a bad year after all.
After such a self-sacrificing European Cup fight, the question of the notorious drop in tension naturally arises. On the one hand, there is sadness about missing out on the semi-finals of the Champions League and the chance to win the title at home, and on the other, there is the obligation not to slip up in the Bundesliga, given the six-point lead over Bayer Leverkusen.
“There’s no more pressure than usual. Pressure is a constant at FC Bayern, you have to be able to deal with it,” explained coach Vincent Kompany on Good Friday, emphasizing: ”I’m motivated and hungry, I’m not someone who lets himself get dragged down.” What’s done is done. Now it’s time to show what you’re made of in the next game. “It’s better to play again as soon as possible,” said Kompany, who would have preferred to play on Friday if it had been possible.
Kompanys predecessor Thomas Tuchel already experienced how tricky things can get in Heidenheim last season when Bayern, three days before the crucial quarter-final first leg at Arsenal, squandered a 2-0 half-time lead and embarrassed themselves once again.
That must not be repeated almost exactly one year later: “I saw the game,” said Kompany, warning: “They are brave, press forward well and take certain risks. Heidenheim is a team that fights – and we are also up for a fight.”
On Wednesday evening, Bayern bosses were quick to praise the Bundesliga as the “most honest” and most important title. A triumph in the Champions League would have been the famous cherry on top of the cake, and the cake, as we all know, is the championship.
Now they should make sure that the cake doesn’t end up in Leverkusen.
