In the 1:1 in Salzburg, FC Bayern’s defence was again vulnerable. Coach Julian Nagelsmann also recognises a problem.
Julian Nagelsmann is not afraid of an exit in the last 16 of the Champions League, “I’m more afraid about other issues in the world.” After Kingsley Coman’s last-minute equaliser in Salzburg, the starting position ahead of the second leg in three weeks’ time is not perfect, but at least it’s OK.
Defensive shakiness also in Salzburg
The 4-2 defeat in Bochum was not the first time in the 34-year-old’s tenure that criticism had been levelled at the defence, which was as indisposed as it had been in the 5-0 defeat in Gladbach. And once again, it did not look good at times.
As early as the 3rd minute Niklas Süle, performing the central role in the reinstalled three-man backline, had needlessly caused Salzburg’s first chance. “I don’t think we started the game that badly,” Nagelsmann said after the game, but also recognised that “individual phases” again highlighted the insecurity of the back line.
In the 21st minute, Serge Gnabry and Thomas Müller lost the ball at their own throw-in in the opponent’s penalty area, and a long ball from Mohamed Camara was enough to confuse the Bayern defence – despite being outnumbered. Lucas Hernandez looked poor against Karim Adeyemi on his left, all his colleagues missed the ball in the middle – and substitute Junior Adamu flicked it into the corner. “There we don’t defend poisonously,” Nagelsmann found.
Communication problems after Alaba and Boateng depart
The Bayern coach also recognised the communication problem that is becoming increasingly apparent following the departures of David Alaba and Jerome Boateng. “Luci as an example,” Nagelsmann explained, referring to the goal against: “He attacks towards the sidelines because he doesn’t know whether he has another player behind him or not. That is a communication issue, that you simply help each other. If we coach from the middle to the outside in that case, Luci will definitely defend more actively against Adeyemi, and then we still have a two-on-one in the middle if he loses the one-on-one on the outside. “
Instead, Hernandez allowed the lively Adeyemi to move inside. “We have to step up in coaching to solve the situation better,” Nagelsmann said. “It wasn’t like Salzburg had fifty scoring chances, that wasn’t the case in Bochum either. I liked the Leipzig game much worse because Leipzig had more chances than I would have liked. “
Bottom line, however, is now seven goals conceded in the last three appearances, despite an improved second-half performance. “We put a lot of pressure on them and totally deserved – shit late or not – to equalise. We were very dominant in the second half and played the way we should, the way we are capable of. That’s how we’ll perform in the second leg as well. “
Then, Nagelsmann concluded, “I am quite confident that we will progress”. Knowing full well that “we still have a bit of work to do to keep up with Europe’s elite”. Or even a little more.
