Contents
Bayern Munich have suffered their biggest loss since 1978 after losing 5-0 to Monchengladbach. The shocking defeat was unbelievable as Bayern are one of the teams that have dominated the Bundesliga back-to-back for several seasons now. When we say several, we mean 9 seasons so far with the club repeatedly defending their Bundesliga championship. The club has also been seen to be one of the strongest clubs in the UEFA Champions League with repeated and well-scored wins. As such, the 5-0 loss is one huge blip that may shake Bayern’s confidence, at a time it needs it more than ever.
Bayern are Grappling with Lethargy
According to our analysis, Bayern Munich are likely facing lethargy. The team has had numerous consecutive engagements both at home in Germany and also on the European stage in the Champions League in the past few weeks. Bayern are a team who can beat any club in the world on a good day, and do it with 3-8 goals. They are just that good and that is why it is so shocking for them to suffer one of the losses that they are so good at making other clubs go through. The issue of lethargy strikes even the biggest clubs as could be seen recently with Manchester City which was seen to be on its knees in the English Premier League.
When teams are engaged in multiple fronts, their players, even their best players, get tired and they may individually, or the whole team may, take a hit in their performance. A good example is Chelsea’s Romelu Lukaku, a tier-one player whose lethargy culminated in an injury, taking him away from several of Chelsea’s most crucial engagements. Luckily for ‘The Blues’, the team was able to step up to the occasion and win various games, including in the UCL, without Lukaku.
Rotating Players: What Bayern Needs to Do to Beat Lethargy
Bayern Munich have now seen the lethargy that they are suffering from. It is unfortunate that sometimes teams and players have to see the effects of lethargy to act on it and go about ensuring proper rest and avoiding too much exertion. When you get a sign that leaves no doubt that the team and its players are tired, such as a 5-0 loss, then you can initiate steps to ensure that the lethargy is dealt with.
A good way to do this is to bring out the would-be substitutes on to the first team and let your best players take some time off to rest. The beauty of doing this is that you give some of the players who do not get a lot of playing time the opportunity to show their skills and prowess, while ensuring your best players are getting the rest they need and are recharging.
The Risk of Replacing Too Many First-Team Players at the Same Time
There is a risk, however, that due to a lack of play opportunity, the ‘sub team’ is likely to lose games and it is, therefore, crucial that not all players from the first 11 are momentarily replaced. The way we would go about it is to pick the best striker, best midfielder, and best defender and have them take some time off to rest while leaving the rest and rotating them with the second bests in each position and so on. This way, there is always 60-70% of the first 11 on the pitch while the 30-40% is resting and recuperating from repeated plays and competitions.
Why Bayern Munich will Bounce Back Even Stronger
Bayern will definitely bounce back from Wednesday’s loss. It is even likely that they will ‘revenge’ this loss with a 6-0 win, either at the Bundesliga or the Champions League. We all know that when Muller, Lewandowski and Gnabry open up a defense, then the goals are going to flow. Bayern have had such a good run both in Bundesliga and the UCL for several seasons now, and are on the main contenders list for both leagues.
They are a top-tier club and have some of the best talent in the world. As such, and even merely because they are a German team, it is only a matter of time until they get back to their winning ways. We have no doubt whatsoever that they will end up in the top four of both leagues, top 2 in the Bundesliga and at the very least, top four in the Champions League. We also wouldn’t be surprised if they won both championships or ended up second even in the UCL. They are just that good and we wish them the very best.
