Manuel Neuer left disappointed after Bayern Munich’s 2-1 defeat at Augsburg

A relegation threatened Augsburg side shocked Bayern Munich with a 2-1 win at the WWK Arena to kick off match day 12 in the Bundesliga. First half goals from Mads Pederson and Andre Hahn sealed the deal, leaving Robert Lewandowski’s volley shortly before the halftime whistle to serve only as a consultation for Julian Nagelsmann’s side. He was without Niklas Sule, Joshua Kimmich, and Kingsley Coman for the trip to Augsburg, and there absence was clearly felt.

Both goals were well and truly created by Bayern’s own mistakes. The first came by way of a botched cross clearance and Marcel Sabitzer was caught in between two minds in possession in his own half before getting dispossessed in the buildup to Hahn’s headed goal. Despite an onslaught of chances in the second half, Augsburg stood frim and held on for what’s a massive three points for them.

Photo by Sebastian Widmann/Getty Images

Speaking after the match, Manuel Neuer was clearly disappointed and felt that his side should’ve defended far better, especially during the situations for Augsburg's goals. “Very disappointing. We definitely have to win against a team like that. We have the better quality. We just weren’t there in the first half, we didn’t have enough courage to go forward and didn’t create enough chances,” he said when he was asked how he felt about the performance (tz).

In addition to the lapses in concentration in defense, Neuer was also concerned with the lack of clear cut chances Bayern created at the other end. Even against teams that sit in with incredibly deep blocks, Bayern is usually able to find ways through, but that wasn’t the case against Augsburg.

The backline of Iago, Reece Oxford, Jeffrey Gouweleeuw, and Robert Gummy remained compact and resolute for the better part of the 90 minutes and hardly afforded Bayern any space to operate in. “One goal came from the back area and the header was also good against the direction of travel. We have to defend that better. What worries me is that we have so few chances. In the past we had tons of opportunities and not today,” Neuer lamented.

Of course, as Bayern’s number 6 and midfield metronome, Kimmich was a big miss in Augsburg, and Neuer emphasized his absence. He’s still in quarantine having recently come into contact with someone who might be positive for the coronavirus. “I always enjoy playing with Jo, and no matter what the circumstances, we always want a Jo Kimmich on the pitch,” Neuer said.

FYI, we happen to have a podcast on all things Bayern Munich, and as usual we did a postgame review show on this game. Why not give it a try?

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