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Weekend Warm-up: The tricky situation between Bayern Munich and Kingsley Coman; Bayern should wear the Alps kits more; Throwing it back to Sponge; Bundesliga predictions; and MORE!

Lets hope Mainz 05 does not have another trick up its sleeve this weekend.

FC Bayern München v FC Barcelona: Group E - UEFA Champions League Photo by Pedro Salado/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images

Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman has been one of the most effective players on the squad this season. When Bayern Munich first acquired Coman, this is exactly the kind of player that they envisioned.

In Julian Nagelsmann’s hybrid formation, Coman has a bit more defensive responsibility than in years past, which he has handled incredibly well. Coman is also having one of his most efficient seasons offensively.

Simply put, Coman picked a great time to have a career season.

With his contract set to expire in 2023, Bayern Munich must decide the following in the coming months:

  • If Coman is a player they want to continue working with (This seems probable)
  • If the club can financially afford Coman within its budget (This seems questionable)
  • If the club can afford Coman — does it actually wants to spend the money pay the rumored high salary that Coman demands (This seems doubtful)

One aspect of the situation that puts Bayern Munich at a disadvantage is the region’s recent decision to make the club without fans. Without that revenue, the already fiscally-conservative Bavarians could be in a spot where they cannot match what the market demands for Coman.

Deep-pocketed clubs in other countries are going to to be able to pay more for Coman if the player really wants to leave Germany.

Therein lies the rub, though.

We know that his advisors are looking to cash in, but the player has not really stated a strong desire to leave, aside of just discussing that he will have “options.”

To this point, Coman actually seems settled and happy in Germany. The biggest potential cracks in that foundation will be his ego and his advisors. Can he cope with leaving money on the table? Will he be strong enough to tune out his advisors if he really does want to stay with Bayern Munich?

Those questions will be answered in the coming months, but at least the Bavarians are well-prepared in the event he exits. Whatever formation you think Nagelsmann runs, the club would still have three excellent options to the two spots in the lineup that traditionally go to wingers: Leroy Sane, Serge Gnabry (well, if he inks a contract extension), and Jamal Musiala.

You would be hard pressed to find a better trio in Europe to operate on the flanks should Coman ultimately decide to bolt.


Song of the Week: “Molly” by Sponge

The 90s man...they were a time. While I’ve said many times that there weren’t many groups that sustained momentum enough to carry the era, there were MANY groups that had an impact.

“Molly” (16 Candles Down the Drain) by Sponge is one a few songs the group produced that were huge hits at the time. There are some songs that carry the theme of a time period and this one just reeks of the 90s. You could drop it into movies like Clerks or Singles or whatever and it would fit in perfectly.

The song was released in 1995 on the Rotting Pinata album and was somewhat inspired by Molly Ringwald apparently. Not to be Debbie Downer, but the song also had a darker meaning based on a true story from the band’s history (per Wikipedia):

The original song “Molly” was ostensibly named after actress Molly Ringwald, who starred in the 1984 film Sixteen Candles. However, the lyrics were partly inspired by a story the band had heard about a girl who fell in love with one of her teachers shortly before her 16th birthday, who then attempted to commit suicide after he rejected her advances. “Molly” is also the name of the band’s greatest hits album, which was released by Sony Music in 2000.

Anyway, throw it back to the 90s with us this morning:


Bavarian Podcast Works: Weekend Warm-up Podcast Season 1, Episode 28

Bayern Munich had another big week.

After a somewhat controversial victory over Borussia Dortmund in Der Klassiker, the Bavarians took on FC Barcelona in the Champions League — and subsequently sent the Catalans packing to the Europa League.

While that was the big news of the week, we’ve got even more on tap:

  • A look at the fallout from Bayern Munich’s big victory over FC Barcelona.
  • Joshua Kimmich is struggling with the after-effects of his bout with COVID-19, so maybe people should lay off hammering him and hope he feels better soon.
  • Some thoughts on the rumored pursuit of Nico Schlotterbeck and what that might mean for Bayern Munich’s existing core of defenders on the roster — and out on loan.
  • A quick take on the new season of It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia and what other comedies always make me laugh out loud one or more times per episode.

The Alps kits just keep getting better

I watched the Bayern Munich Frauen dispatch BK Häcken 5-1 on Thursday while wearing the Alps kits and I like those more and more every time I see them in action (the Frauen and the kits actually).

I want to see more of the Alps kits for the men’s squad. They are so crisp and unique...GIVE ME MORE!


Predictions

Mainz is playing well...they always give Bayern Munich a hard time...this won’t be easy. That said, the Bavarians are poised to grab another three points — if they can avoid a letdown. Bayern Munich is somewhat banged up, probably tired, and maybe a little unfocused. All of that could lead to a distracted performance.

On the flip side, Robert Lewandowski did not score against FC Barcelona on Wednesday, so he might want to rampage right through Mainz 05.

I’ll take my chances with Lewy.

Prediction: Bayern Munich 3-1 Mainz 05

Other Bundesliga predictions include:

  • FC Köln 1-1 FC Augsburg
  • VfL Bochum 1-4 Borussia Dortmund
  • SC Freiburg 2-2 Hoffenheim
  • Hertha Berlin 2-1 Arminia Bielefeld
  • RB Leipzig 2-1 Borussia Mönchengladbach
  • Wolfsburg 3-1 VfB Stuttgart
  • SpVgg Greuther Fürth 1-3 Union Berlin
  • Eintracht Frankfurt 2-2 Bayer Leverkusen

Prediction Records

Struggggggggggggling.

Here is where we are at:

Last Bundesliga Match Day record: 4-5

Overall Bundesliga record: 61-56

DFB-Pokal record: 1-1

DFL-Supercup record: 1-0

Champions League record: 6-0

Overall record: 69-57

Guest prognosticator record: 0-1 (Cowards)

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