After a strong start to the season, Bayern Munich have slipped up once again. Dropping points for the fourth game in a row, manager Niko Kovač faces his first big test since taking over in the summer.
Saturday’s 3-0 loss to Borussia Monchengladbach saw the team fall to fifth in the table. Bayern as a club expects more, with Kovač now tasked with lifting the club out of this unexpected slump.
Niko Kovač Under Pressure
This bizarre slump in form started towards the end of September, a month which saw Bayern win well in both the league and in Europe. However, Kovač’s team went on to lose their final two games of the month, two losses which appear to have led to a minor crisis at the club.
Drawing 1-1 with Augsburg and losing away to Hertha Berlin saw the team drop points in back-to-back games, a rarity for the Bavarian club. A break from the league was needed, as Kovač and his team played their second Champions League game of the season.
Facing a young Ajax team, Bayern struggled, dropping crucial points on the night. Their poor form continued, as the team faced a tough test against Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday.
The Loss to Borussia Monchengladbach
In what was supposed to be the game which saw Bayern’s poor run on form come to an end, Kovač’s team were embarrassed at the Allianz Arena. Losing 3-0 to second place Borussia Monchengladbach, Bayern looked second best throughout, dropping points once again.
Munich have now picked up two points out of a possible twelve in all competitions. For Gladbach, the gameplan was simple, sit back and hope for the best. Bayern played right into their hands on the day, playing a slow build-up, possession style game. Gladbach took full advantage, coming away with all three points.
Kovač and his team are under serious pressure. Expected to run away with the Bundesliga title again this season, life under Niko Kovač is turning sour. Now sitting fifth in the table, Bayern needs to make changes, and they need to make them soon.
Their style of play on Saturday was awful, slow and ineffective throughout. Bayern should play faster and with more purpose, after all, possession means nothing without results. Possessing 72% of the ball, Bayern only managed three shots on target, simply not good enough.
Kovač also needs to decide who his two centre-backs are, with the former Bayern midfielder rotating too often. This is only creating confusion at the back, as the team continues to leak goals.
Dortmund Pressure
Considered a one-team league, the Bundesliga is slowly returning to the competitive league it used to be. Borussia Dortmund, managed by Lucien Favre, sit atop the Bundesliga table after matchday seven.
Led by captain Marco Reus, Dortmund look set to once again challenge for the title. This is something German football has been waiting for since the Jürgen Klopp era at Dortmund.
Winners six years in a row, Bayern Munich have high standards. However, the league has become stale, with football fans around the world losing interest with the “one-team league” that the Bundesliga has become.
Competition from the likes of Dortmund is the last thing Niko Kovač needs right now. Favre’s young, exciting team has a serious chance to both win the league and end the Kovač era at Bayern, in what would be one the biggest upset’s in Bundesliga history.
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