Three observations from Bayern Munich’s shocking 2-1 DFB-Pokal elimination by Saarbrücken

Bayern Munich fell victim to a sloppy pitch and their own laziness in an inconceivable loss to Saarbrücken in the DFB-Pokal cup. The resilient third-division opponent was fearless for ninety minutes and found a stoppage time stunner to complete the second round shocker, reminiscent of Holstein Kiel’s upset of Bayern in the same competition back in January 2021.

Hats off to Saarbrücken

The home side threw the kitchen sink at Bayern to pull off the shocking “Cupset”. Saarbrücken attacked and defended relentlessly as one unit and the fans brought an incredible energy to the match. Saarbrücken took a beating for 90 minutes but somehow emerged victorious.

Not enough killer instinct

A world-class club should enter this type of game with the mentality to be up five goals by halftime. Instead, Bayern only managed a single true opportunity in the first 45 minutes (thank goodness for Thomas Müller). Thomas Tuchel’s tactics expressed survival rather than dominance, and it cost Bayern the game...and on top of that the Bavarians lost Matthijs de Ligt to a knee injury.

Bayern’s depth is embarrassing

When Bayern won the Champions League in 2020, they brought Niklas Süle, Ivan Perišić, Philippe Coutinho, and Corentin Tolisso off the bench. While a second round German Cup match doesn’t demand a “Best XI” lineup, Bouna Sarr and Frans Krätzig proved that they don’t belong on the senior roster. The injuries are mounting and Bayern cannot expect to find a miracle every game.

Bayern will need to quickly regroup for the Der Klassiker on Saturday at Borussia Dortmund.

If you’re not done wallowing in the misery of this loss, you can check out our postgame review/rant about Thomas Tuchel and the state of Bayern Munich at the moment. Listen to it below or on Spotify.

As always, we appreciate all the support.