FC Bayern had probably imagined a different end to their week-long trip to the USA. A thunderstorm caused a wild mess at Lambeau Field. But the German record champions could not be satisfied with their performance either.
It was supposed to be the big test match spectacle for the American fans of European football. But for a short time, the match between FC Bayern and Manchester City was completely on the line, as insiders in the stadium rumoured. Because in Green Bay it is not uncommon for there to be thunderstorms in the evening. There are special rules for this case because Lambeau Field lacks lightning rods. This means that if there is lightning, the field is closed for safety reasons.
This was the case on Saturday evening. Kick-off was postponed – for the time being – by 15 minutes – in the hope of improvement. The digital weather forecast, which serves as a basis for evaluation, said: rain, but no thunderstorms. However, the forecast was not quite right. Two minutes after kick-off, the light show continued in the anthracite-coloured evening sky over Green Bay. The referee looked at the situation for ten minutes. Then Manchester City scored through Erling Haaland to make it 1-0 – and the referee stopped the sporting event after 12.38 minutes.
57 minutes interruption due to blatant thunderstorm
A huge cloud front passed over the stadium, it emptied itself with all the means given by nature. Lightning, thunder, rain, storm. The fans disappeared behind the stands before the announcement came half an hour later: Let’s go on. The show must go on. Cheers broke out, a wave of laughter went through the audience. They all, the 78,128 spectators wanted the continuation. And they were to get the restart.
At 7.25 pm, after 57 minutes of interruption, the game resumed. With shortened halves that lasted only 40 minutes. And only a five-minute half-time break, during which the players did not leave the pitch. So lots of chaos in Green Bay.
Bayern harmless, City miss lots of chances
And Bayern didn’t really like what was happening on the pitch in terms of football either. Manchester City ran the ball well. Pep Guardiola’s team also managed to break down the Munich defence with simple means, a pass into the gap between Bayern’s full-backs and wingers. Dayot Upamecano, who like Leroy Sané did not look particularly good when he conceded the first goal, had to make a save in the 16th minute, for example. In the other City chances (4th, 5th, 30th, 36th), the Skyblues just missed the goal. Sven Ulreich also had to make a save (74th), and the post also saved (78th).
The Bavarians, on the other hand, were uninspiring offensively. Only Kingsley Coman was able to assert himself in a one-on-one and provided a goal threat with a good cross (38th). The Frenchman was then substituted at half-time. After that, Bayern did not score again except for a counterattack initiated by Müller – in 80 minutes, the Munich team did not score a goal for City. Only the defensive chain remained stable and allowed little danger to arise in their own penalty area in the second half.
Summary: The game caused chaos with all the outside influences. FC Bayern cannot be satisfied in terms of football either. For the Munich team, it was straight to the airport after the final whistle, the team is expected back home on Sunday afternoon (CEST). They will then have a week to prepare for the first competitive match of the coming season, the Supercup in Leipzig on Saturday (20.30).
