Bayern Shift Focus To The Champions League After 3-0 Win Over Lazio

Bayern Munich has left the crisis on hold, at least for a few days. On Tuesday, Bayern comfortably defeated Lazio 3-0 in front of 75,000 visitors at the Allianz Arena. Harry Kane (38′ and 66′) and Thomas Müller (45′) signed a victory for Bayern that was never in doubt during the 90 minutes.

Of course, context matters when analyzing this Bayern victory. First of all, Lazio is only ninth in Serie A. In other words, Bayern dominated the Italian equivalent of Freiburg or Augsburg. The flip side is that Bayern dropped points against Freiburg on Friday, which has put significant pressure on coach Thomas Tuchel to achieve a big result in the Champions League.

“Thomas Tuchel is a great coach,” Bayern Munich CEO Herbert Hainer said after the match, before confirming that a defeat today would have complicated things. “But of course, if we had been eliminated today, it would have been more than unfortunate.” “He is very focused and relieved that we have clarity for everyone. Now everyone knows what his situation is. We want to finish the season with Thomas.”

In fact, it was said on the streets of the Bavarian capital that Tuchel, who will leave Bayern in the summer, could receive his papers if the Rekordmeister did not want to surpass Lazio. For a few days at least, those documents will now be filed somewhere in Max Eberl’s office, as the club will naturally divert all of its attention from what appears to be a losing Bundesliga title race to the Champions League.

One could argue that Bayern have created a sense of clarity between the players and the head coach that could take all parties to a higher level. Although Tuchel never managed to take over the entire dressing room, tactically the head coach was able to get the most out of a Bayern team that could still compete in Europe this season.

“It’s an unusual situation,” said Bayern forward Harry Kane. “As I said before, as players we have the responsibility to achieve every victory in every competition, not only for the coach but also for the club. Of course, we know we have to improve, but nights like this can really change the season. “I’m very proud of the boys and we have to keep this momentum going.”

The basis of this victory against Lazio was a tactical change that Tuchel was perhaps never willing to attempt as long-term Bayern coach. A few weeks ago, Tuchel moved Joshua Kimmich to the right, reestablishing him as Bayern’s right-back.

Kimmich has long insisted that he is Bayern’s number 6, and internal arguments between the player and Tuchel may have sowed much of the discontent that has ultimately been at the heart of the club’s poor season. But with Tuchel’s departure, club politics take a backseat and, free of concerns, the coach did what was best for the team.

Without a doubt, the midfield trio of Aleksandar Pavlovic, Leon Goretzka and Thomas Müller were instrumental in Bayern’s victory over Lazio. In fact, that trio of midfielders also gave Jamal Musiala the freedom to be creative and overall created a Bayern that looked much more dangerous than in previous weeks.

Pavlovic could be another beneficiary of Tuchel’s dismissal. At only 19 years old, the midfielder is a product of the quarry, and his appearance could save the club a significant investment in the future. Would Tuchel have played the young Munich native, knowing that he was fighting for his position? We will never know, but it is interesting that Tuchel will leave the club with one of Europe’s most exciting midfield talents already established at the club.

It may not be Tuchel’s only parting gift. Although Bayern are significantly adrift in the Bundesliga, the Champions League remains a possible route to avoid a trophy-less season for the first time since 2012. Tuchel won the Champions League with Chelsea and reached the final in 2020 with PSG, where they lost to Bayern. .

Of course, there are still some major hurdles before Tuchel can bid farewell to Europe’s highest price tag. Manchester City and Real Madrid, in particular, appear to be clubs that are one step ahead of Bayern this season. But crazier things have happened in football.

Manuel Veth is the presenter of Bundesliga Gegenpressing Podcast and the Area Manager USA in Transfer market. He has also published in The Guardian, Newsweek, Howler, Pro Soccer USA and various other outlets. Follow him on Twitter: @ManuelVeth and in Threads: @manuveth