On Saturday, Bayern lost their lead in the Bundesliga and are now one point behind Borussia Dortmund. As heretical as it may sound, it would be better for the Bavarians to watch the Yellow-Blacks lift the Silver Salad Bowl on May 27th.
According to Thomas Tuchel, an anti-Bayern football deity, the inertia suddenly shifts towards Munich. A predetermined outcome in the championship? That was last weekend. An unsettled Bayern team stretched their nerves for a fortunate draw against Hoffenheim (1-1). Borussia seemed like the leader, winning in extra time against 10 of Stuttgart, but the final 3-3 left the champions with 2 points more at the top. Until last Saturday.
Was this the decisive turn in the Bundesliga? Will Borussia keep the lead after crushing Eintracht Frankfurt (4-0) while Bayern suffered a setback in Mainz (1-3)? Such a scenario would benefit the Bavarians. Because nothing could be more logical for the subscribed champions in this toughest crisis in years than to watch the applause of the Black-Yellows after ten consecutive titles.
Of course, the rest of the Bundesliga and all the fans who are not Bayern supporters crave for another champion, for other festive pictures. Just imagine that after this confusing season, the team from Munich is awarded the trophy again, which they then have to celebrate with bittersweet faces on “Marienplatz”…
In the potential “disaster” (in Oliver Kahn’s words) of not winning a title in the upcoming season, there is a possibility that Bayern’s executives cannot or do not want to see. Could there not be a stronger motivation and drive for the next campaign? Could the players not have more ambition to restore their hierarchy? Could the executives and coach Tuchel not have better arguments to give a more intense push to the team and make difficult transfer decisions (such as for the future of Gnabry or Mane), or take financial risks in search of a top-class striker?
Of course, the successor to Julian Nagelsmann, deprived of the possibility of treble, will be disadvantaged. Because in the worst case, Tuchel will be labeled as a failure, having not only failed to win the three trophies but also lost them. Nevertheless, there could be magic in an inevitably new beginning.
Dortmund has hooked Bayern on the fishing line. Nevertheless, the fish has not been taken out of the murky Munich lake yet. A potential success for the yellow-blacks would be good for them and beneficial for the Bundesliga. But also for Bayern, which needs a shake-up to leave the zone of its complacency.
