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Ahead of tonight’s match versus Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena in the UEFA Champions League, we have done a Q&A with one of their supporters. Thank you to MUTU from BayernForum.com for answering the questions! The match is live on TNT Sports 2 at 20:00 and the referee is Danny Makkelie.
How long have you supported Bayern Munich?
I fell in love with Bayern watching them play, and draw, IFK Göteborg on 1st March 1995. Been a fan ever since.
What were and now are your hopes and expectations for the 2023/24 season?
I want to be honest. We signed a top, top striker in Harry Kane and we also signed the Serie A defender of the season in Kim Minjae. My expectation was dominating the domestic tournaments and doing very well in the Champions League. The season has so far been a big disappointment and winning the Champions League is now the only way we can end the season with a smile, but every Bayern fan knows how challenging that will be.
What are your views on your manager?
They’re abysmal. His predecessor Nagelsmann was eliminated in only 2 competitions during his tenure, the last of which was almost a year before his sacking. Furthermore, he had only conceded in one of 8 Champions League matches, 2 goals to Plzen in a match in which a number of players were rested. In came Tuchel and in only his 6th game in charge he had already been eliminated from 2 competitions and conceded 4 goals in 2 Champions League matches. Assuming Tuchel does not win the Champions League this season he will have won only 1 out of 7 possible competitions, and at Bayern that falls very, very short of the expectations. That’s simply the way it is.
Style of play and tactics – direct/passing/hybrid?
Personally, I like direct football. It’s how Bayern were successful under Heynckes in 2013 and Flick in 2020. I feel that too much passing often gets you nowhere.
One(s) to watch now and in the future?
The obvious name here is Jamal Musiala who’s an incredible, incredible talent. However, there’s also a lesser-known player with the name of Mathys Tel who seems like he could have a very bright future indeed.
Random fact about your Club?
It was referred to as a Judenklub (Jewish club) at the time Hitler rose to power, and the then Jewish club president was taken to the Dachau concentration camp while some Bayern players were deployed at some of the more difficult assignments, where a few perished.
Another interesting fact is that Bayern helped their big rivals Borussia Dortmund with a loan that saved the latter from bankruptcy in 2003. The loan was interest-free.
Which were your favourite and least favourite matches involving Bayern Munich?
This is a very easy question to answer. The favourite matches were the 2013 and 2020 Champions League finals and the worst two were the 1999 and the 2012 Champions League finals which were extremely heartbreaking.
At the start of the season, which sides did you think would finish in the top four and bottom three?
To be honest, I do not normally make predictions. Contrary to popular opinion, the Bundesliga is a very competitive league. Sure, Bayern almost always does well, but apart from that it’s pretty much a mixed bag. We’ve experienced Kaiserslautern winning the Bundesliga in their first season following promotion (1998), Alemannia Aachen reaching the UEFA Cup round of 32 whilst playing in the 2nd division (2005), Hertha Berlin finishing 4th in the Bundesliga and then rock bottom the following season (2010) and just now Xabi Alonso taking over a club that was 2nd from bottom in October of last season and is currently unbeaten in all competitions this season.
What are your thoughts on Arsenal?
Arsenal are a very, very solid side but perhaps lacks some experience. The situation looked better for Arsenal a week ago, but it’s tough to fight for two hugely challenging trophies like the Champions League and the Premier League.
If you could steal one Arsenal player for your team, who would it be and why?
The obvious one would be Saka because he’s an insanely talented player and if Bayern manage to get him and Wirtz, and retain Musiala, that would be a ridiculously talented attacking midfield. However, I think the player that Bayern need more would be Declan Rice. He may not have had the best match of his career in the 1st leg, but he’s a very good player in a position we really need to strengthen.
What is your prediction for this match?
2-1 for Bayern after extra time. I predict Arsenal, who are now like the metaphorical wounded dragon, taking an early lead and trying to hold on to it. Bayern score the equalizer sometime during the second half, but then dominate the extra time because Arsenal would have tired legs. Worth noting that Bayern played at home on Saturday in a relatively easy match (opponent second from bottom) a whole 26 hours before Arsenal kicked off, who on top have to travel to Munich. Especially if the match ends up going to extra time, the difference will show. Then again, Bayern have a few players who are not fully fit, namely Neuer (albeit as a goalkeeper that’s not much of a difference), Mazraoui, Guerreiro, Pavlovic and Sané. Four of these are predicted to be in the starting XI, so the freshness advantage is offset by this as well.
