Daily Schmankerl: The aftermath of Bayern Munich vs. Gladbach; Neymar catches heat over McDonald’s trip (Apple Pie too hot?); Lionel Messi to leave PSG?; Union Berlin is making its run at Bayern; Chelsea shopping Mason Mount?; & MORE!

Die Folgen: Bayern’s 3-2 loss to Gladbach (Bavarian Football Works)

Bayern Munich dropped a 3-2 decision to Borussia Mönchengladbach in a match that was a mess from the get-go. Dayot Upamecano’s 8th minute red card put the Bavarians in an early hole that they would never be able to dig themselves out of. Here are some quick hitters on the match:

• Does Julian Nagelsmann read BFW and/or listen to our podcast? People are asking (maybe not, but let’s dig into the lineup anyway):

• I was ecstatic to see Jamal Musiala get some rest. The kid is worn down and needed to break. Little did I know, however, that Musiala would be called into action after halftime and not really get the rest he desperately needs.
• I did not anticipate Matthijs de Ligt getting a rest, but he likely needed some downtime as well. It does not hurt to get Daley Blind some run, either.
• Leroy Sané has not look like himself lately, so a rest for him was beneficial was well. Like Musiala, though, he also got called into action.
• Entering the match, I was curious to see how Serge Gnabry embraced a wing-back role as he was not thrilled to play that spot last season. It did not appear, however, that Gnabry really liked playing the position much at all this season either as he was a bit of a non-factor.
• All that said, the early red card to Dayot Upamecano ensured at least one Bayern Munich player was going to get an extended break.
• The pressure of being down one man was felt almost immediately. Lars Stindl perfectly placed a one-time shot off of a set piece to put the Bavarians in a hole very early on.
• You could make an argument one way or the other for Upamecano’s red card. It was a little soft, but the slight contact and body positioning absolutely played a role in how it was called. It was one of those that you would want called for your team if you were attacking, but not against you if you are defending. I might have had less of a problem with it than some others.
• Yann Sommer might have been able to help Upamecano avoid having to make that move as well. Communication between the goalkeeper and the backline will get better, but it is not totally where it needs to be right now.
• I will say, I thoroughly disagreed with taking Thomas Müller off instead of Ryan Gravenberch after the red card. I feel like this is the exact situation where Gravenberch’s griping affected a coaching decision. In a match where you probably needed some veteran guile to find a way to draw even, it did not make much sense to me to take away a player who is likely most experienced at being in a 10-man situation. It was, indeed, a crappy decision.
• That could not have really sat well with Müller, either.
• Gladbach’s social media team had a hell of a day:

• Stindl should have made 2-0 in the 24th minute but his shot went wide. Stindl is one of those guys, who has pieced together a really nice career, while probably being a little underrated.
• Alphonso Davies did well to find Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting on Bayern Munich’s first goal. Davies seems to be snapping out of the funk that he was in, which is a great thing if you are the Bavarians.
• Leroy Sané came in for Gnabry at halftime and was decent. Musiala came in for Gravenberch at the same time and was okay. It was not ideal to have to play either one of them for an extended period, but Nagelsmann probably felt like he had no other recourse.
• Jonas Hofmann, however, gave Gladbach the lead just 10 minutes after the second half whistle blew and Die Fohlen would never look back. Hofmann finished with a goal and two assists and was by far the most impactful person on the pitch (aside of the referee).
• I kid about the referee, but I understand why some people were so bent out of shape about it.
• Marcus Thuram’s 84th minute tally effectively ended the match, but Bayern Munich’s Mathys Tel did add a goal in extra time to cut the deficit. For Tel, it was surely a good moment. For the team, however, this was surely a frustrating day.

• Overall, the red card made it near impossible to best a very motivated Gladbach side. Bayern Munich did fight, but it is fair to question Nagelsmann’s management of the game. Some days, the coach can push all of the right buttons...and others, not so much. To be extremely clear, I’m not blaming Nagelsmann for the loss — but like more than a few Bayern Munich players did on the pitch, the coach also made some mistakes. When you combine some poor play and iffy decision-making on the pitch and on the touchline, it typically does lead to an “L” like we saw on Saturday. It’s just one game, but Bayern Munich needs to put this one behind it quickly and get focuses on the stiff challenges that are right around the corner.

If you missed our Initial Analysis, Match Awards, Observations, and/or Postgame Podcast, give them a look or a listen:

Neymar’s Mickey D’s, poker night out defended by pundit (PSG Talk)

I generally don’t care what an athlete does after a match, but this Neymar-McDonald’s-Poker Night story is cracking me up:

Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar Jr. has been in controversy over these last few days. After the capital club’s 1-0 first-leg loss to Bayern Munich on Tuesday at the Parc des Princes, it hasn’t been a good few days for the squad.

Nonetheless, the 31-year-old used his time off to have a poker and fast food night, which didn’t sit well with the French media. Additionally, others speculated if Neymar’s acts were a shot at Mbappe due to his post-game remarks of needing to sleep and prepare well for the second leg.

However, Karim Bennani defended the Brazilian’s actions and didn’t believe that the veteran having a night out was a direct shot at what Mbappe stated.

“I don’t think it’s related to what Mbappé said, and if so, Mbappé is not the president of Neymar at PSG,” Bennani said on “L’Équipe de Greg” (h/t Canal Supporters). “He feels like doing whatever he wants on a day off. Let him go do what he wants. We are not going to be there to check Neymar’s plate. […] Neymar’s problem is that he is not good at the moment. If Neymar qualifies PSG against Bayern Munich, no one will tell us about this trip to a fast food restaurant. He does not play big on Sunday against Lille. I want to say that we don’t care about the match against Lille, honestly. All the fans are only focused on March 8 and that match against Bayern. The justice of the peace, for Neymar and all other players, will be March 8.”

If the Bayern Ultras don’t have the golden arches prominently displayed when they two teams meet at the Allianz Arena, it will be a big miss.

Bavarian Podcast Works: Weekend Warm-up Podcast Season 2, Episode 32 (Bavarian Football Works)

Bayern Munich vs. Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League certainly lived up to its lofty billing, but the Bavarians cannot sit back and rest on their laurels.

A bit banged up and maybe a little weary, Julian Nagelsmann will have some key decisions to make this weekend, but that is not nearly all there is to talk about this week. This is what we have on tap for this episode:

• A preview on Bayern Munich vs. Borussia Mönchengladbach.
• Some thoughts on Bayern Munich’s 1-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain — and what might happen in the next match.
• Julian Nagelsmann seems to be debating on what system (back three vs. back four) works better for his squad.
• What is Thomas Müller’s role on this team?
• Should Bayern Munich ink Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting to an extension?

Messi not going back to PSG? (Marca via 90Min.com)

The hits just keep coming for Paris Saint-Germain as the club cannot seem to reach a deal with Lionel Messi. Both FC Barcelona and Inter Miami are interested in Messi:

Lionel Messi and Paris Saint-Germain have failed to find an agreement over a new contract during their first round of talks. Inter Miami are interested in signing Messi while a sensational return to Barcelona cannot be ruled out.

Uh, next weekend could have a HUGE game on the docket (@Goal)

If Union Berlin can oust Schalke 04 today, Die Eisernen will be sitting on the Bundesliga’s Iron Throne all alone:

Chelsea proposing Mount swap to keep Felix? (Marca via 90Min.com)

At least one report is stating that Chelsea FC could be offering Mason Mount to Atlético Madrid:

Chelsea have offered to swap Mason Mount in a bid to engineer a permanent transfer for Atletico Madrid loanee Joao Felix.

According to ESPN, however, Mount is also drawing interest from Liverpool FC, Manchester City, and Manchester United:

Mount is also attracting interest from Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United as contract negotiations with Chelsea continue to stall.