Daily Schmankerl: The aftermath of Bayern Munich vs. Hoffenheim; Manchester United leading Bayern on Harry Kane?; Is Julian Nagelsmann Chelsea-bound — and did he shoot down Tottenham Hotspur?; and MORE!

Die Folgen: Bayern’s 1-1 draw with Hoffenheim (Bavarian Football Works)

Another match, another poor result.

Bayern Munich sputtered through a 1-1 draw with Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga that will not exactly inspire much hope or confidence from fans.

Fans are surely irritated, the postgame comments show the team is not happy, and things are careening toward rock bottom for this season (somehow Borussia Dortmund is even more inept or they would be running away with the league title).

Let’s get to it, here are some quick hitters on the match:

• As always, let’s start with a look at the lineup:

• Without a true striker available, Thomas Tuchel rolled the dice and used Serge Gnabry again. I was not shocked that Alphonso Davies hit the pine. Davies has not had a good season. Hopefully, this is a wake up call for him in his young career. It seems like being a celebrity might have distracted him a bit (which is not a totally uncommon occurrence for young players who experience a meteoric rise to fame) and just a bit of a re-focus on football might be in order to help him get back on track. I personally would still rather see Davies ahead of Joao Cancelo, but Tuchel surely has a plan (okay...maybe not surely).
• As for Jamal Musiala sitting the bench, I thought he would get the call at wing, but Tuchel can probably see that the youngster is scuffling. Sitting out, processing the game from a different view, and recalibrating things could be what Musiala needs. I don’t think Musiala and Davies are battling the same type of issues, but some time to group is definitely needed by both players.
• Early on, Bayern Munich was more confident and crisp in its passing while in the build-up and in possession despite Hoffenheim applying decent pressure. The final third decision-making and passing accuracy, however, was not always great.
• In the 10th minute, both Leroy Sané and Thomas Müller has opportunities to shoot, but both were reluctant to pull the trigger and instead made passes that you could argue were forced (particularly Müller).
• Gnabry plays with his head down a lot more as a striker than when he is at wing.
• In the 17th, though, Benjamin Pavard continued his terrific season with a goal. A corner was headed out to the top of box, where Kingsley Coman let loose with a groundball shot (I don’t think this was meant to be a pass given the pace on, but if so, bravo to Coman) that found Pavard’s football, who put a quick strike on net for the score.
• Pavard has taken a lot of heat over the years, but it will be a tough loss if he leaves this summer.
• While never in firm control, Bayern Munich was not really threatened much. Then, well, it hit the fan.
• When Tuchel subbed in Musiala, Mathys Tel, and Alphonso Davies in the 60th minute, it sparked the attack in a big way (though not one that resulted in a goal unfortunately). However, it also created some gaping holes in the defense, which allowed Hoffenheim to look a little more dangerous.
• Andrej Kramaric drew a foul from Müller (not a great foul from Müller) at the top of the box and subsequently hit a great, curling free kick that Sommer did not get enough of a piece of to push away. After the bashing he already took earlier this week, the anti-Sommer crowd will probably get louder.
• That’s it. What a debacle.
• Overall, it is getting tough to keep the belief that there is a plan here aside of rushing to finish this season so the coach can reboot the roster. It would be nice to see Tuchel try something innovative rather than rolling an ill-fitting 4-2-3-1, but he seems determined to make it work. The play on the field isn’t great, the vibe in the locker room is questionable given recent events, and it’s just...not good. It needs to be better, but when will that happen? It’s not like Manchester City will make it any easier in the next match.

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

United leading Bayern on Kane? (Sports Mole)

Bayern Munich has stiff competition in its rumored pursuit of Tottenham Hotspur star Harry Kane. Manchester United could be the leader in the clubhouse:

Manchester United allegedly hold the edge over Bayern Munich in the race for Harry Kane due to the Tottenham Hotspur man’s desire to remain in the Premier League.

The Lilywhites are no closer to tying their all-time leading goalscorer down to a new deal beyond 2024, leaving them with a crucial decision to make in the summer.

Spurs are expected to step up talks with Kane over a new deal when the season comes to a close, but the 29-year-old remains without a single piece of silverware in his career so far.

The Premier League record for goals means a lot to Kane and could sway his decision if he decides to move on from Tottenham.

Barca ramps up interest in German international after Bayern romp (ESPN)

FC Barcelona already liked Manchester City star İlkay Gündoğan, but after seeing him help his squad dismantle Bayern Munich, the Catalans are set to get more serious about a pursuit:

Barcelona remain eager to sign Ilkay Gundogan and are set to meet with the midfielder’s agent, as per Ekrem Konur. The Manchester City captain is out of contract with the Citizens at the end of the season, and has emerged as one of Barcelona’s premier targets for the summer. The 32-year-old is thought to be an ideal signing financially, as cash-strapped Barcelona look to find a way to comply with LaLiga’s Financial Fair Play rules, but he would also offer much-needed experience to a youthful squad.

Bavarian Podcast Works: Weekend Warm-up Podcast Season 2, Episode 40 (Bavarian Football Works)

Bayern Munich has a suddenly massive match against Hoffenheim this week, a coach still feeling his way out, a league title on the line, and a whole hell of a lot of transfer rumors going on.

Yup, there is A LOT to talk about with Bayern Munich, so let’s dive right into it. This is what we have on tap for this episode:

• Breaking down the fight between Leroy Sané and Sadio Mané.
• A preview of Bayern Munich vs. Hoffenheim, a predicted lineup, and a score line that will hopefully give fans some juice heading into the weekend.
• Why this match will tell us a lot about Thomas Tuchel’s mindset as a manager, his player preferences, and where things might be going from here.
• A look at all of the strikers (and other attacking options) that Bayern Munich has been linked to.
• Chatting on next season’s logjam at goalkeeper.

Sabitzer’s increasing value with tremendous loan stint? (Fussball Transfers)

Marcel Sabitzer’s loan to Manchester United has been beneficial for everyone involved. Sabitzer has shown he is still world class, United is getting a big boost, and Bayern Munich is getting a more valuable asset to sell this summer.

With Sabitzer sadly out of Bayern Munich’s planning, at least the club stands to make some money from a sale of the Austrian:

With performances like Thursday evening, Sabitzer drives up his price. A few weeks ago, Bayern were hoping for a transfer fee of at least 20 million euros in the summer. In the meantime, Sabitzer’s value has definitely increased even more. Even if United don’t take him on, the powerful right foot could be lucratively sold elsewhere.

Meanwhile at City...(@brfootball)

Erling Haaland just continues to tear up the Premier League for Manchester City:

Spurs deny Nags shot them down, Chelsea move could be looming (The Spurs Web)

No one knows where Julian Nagelsmann will land next, but he will likely have options — including Tottenham Hotspur:

Tottenham Hotspur have played down speculation in the German media that suggested that Julian Nagelsmann had refused an offer from the Premier League side immediately after his sacking by Bayern Munich, according to The Mirror.

German news outlet Bild claimed that Spurs had approached the former Bayern boss as a successor for the vacancy in north London, only for the Bavarian to decide he would prefer to wait until the summer to decide his next position.

According to Sport Bild journalist Christian Falk, however, Nagelsmann and Chelsea FC could be headed toward a relationship (per CaughtOffside):

“Another former Bavarian who is very popular in England is Julian Nagelsmann. The coach should now have the opportunity to personally introduce himself to the bosses of Chelsea FC and present his ideas,” the BILD journalist wrote for CaughtOffside.

“Just over a week ago, Luis Enrique also got this chance. The Spaniard is said to have made a good impression, with some media already speculating about an imminent agreement. So far, however, this has not happened, perhaps because the bosses want to get to know Nagelsmann first.”

(Our apologies — Due to a system error, the Daily Schmankerl published later than usual today)