Bayern facing a painful period of drought on the international stage

BERLIN: The road to success for reigning German champion Bayern Munich remains bumpy.

Despite a noisy mid-season change of coaches from Julian Nagelsmann to Thomas Tuchel, the desired impact has yet to materialise. The third consecutive exit in the last-eight stage of the UEFA Champions League over the past three years is a significant setback, as the Bundesliga giant’s international ambitions demand better results.

Along with the 4-1 aggregate defeat in the duel against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City comes a disappointing exit in the German Cup against underdog SC Freiburg.

Following a fairly strong performance in the second leg against the Sky Blues, Bayern’s new coach faces uncertain times as the squad appears to need rebuilding.

Clashing with the Premier League side and inconsistent performances in other competitions revealed Bayern’s scoring problem. Failing to sign a top-class striker remains the 2020 treble winner’s most glaring issue after goal-machine Robert Lewandowski left for Barcelona without being adequately replaced.

While club chairman Oliver Kahn denied a quality problem, referring to “our over 20 internationals,” Bayern’s other leaders, such as former goalkeeper and sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic, are blamed for the poor outcome of this season.

Rumours suggest Salihamidzic’s position may be in jeopardy, with media reports citing a possible dismissal of the former striker due to a failed transfer strategy. The fact that no player has worn the number nine shirt this year speaks volumes.

Plans to forgo a spearhead and rely solely on wingers and midfielders like Leroy Sane, Serge Gnabry, Sadio Mane, Kingsley Coman, and Jamal Musiala proved to be a critical mistake.

Scoring only three goals in their last five games doesn’t meet expectations, not to mention the multitude of squandered opportunities against City. “We had enough chances to turn things for the better. The new coach came at a crucial time, and things are far from easy for him,” midfielder Joshua Kimmich said.

The German league title remains the last goal, with Bayern holding a narrow two-point lead over runner-up and national rival Borussia Dortmund.

The 2021 UEFA Champions League winner Tuchel faces the challenge of keeping the team together until the end of the 2023 campaign while assembling a revamped squad behind the scenes.

To secure a more successful future, changes seem inevitable regarding the playing personnel and the sporting director’s role.

For a reason, the Bayern coach spoke about missing desire and determination. The in-house turbulence didn’t increase the players’ confidence, Tuchel added, after stating, “We delivered two good games but didn’t manage to push through. We had them on the ropes, but the referee had a bad day.”

While Manchester City deservedly advanced to the semifinals to face Real Madrid, Bayern find themselves on the brink of a dry spell, having reached their limits. IANS

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