Athens, Greece (Weltexpress). The faltering master team from Munich, who is considered a record champion everywhere and continues to be a favourite for the Bundesliga, carried neither coals to Newcastle at an anti-press conference last week, nor owls to Athens, as the classic Greek saying goes, even though they played against AEK Athens in the laughingly called Champions League yesterday evening.
However, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Ulrich Hoeneß and Hasan Salihamidzic turned out last Friday as this stubborn short-tailed species. But lets forget the insignificance on the Säbener Straße in Munich and to the meeting of AEK Athens with Bayern München.
This Champions League game was won 2-0 by the guests. The goals of the team coached by Niko Kovac scored in front of 50,000 spectators in the Olympic Stadium of Athens first Javier Martínez (61.) and then Robert Lewandowski (63).
Kovac sent Serge Gnabry to the left from the start, and the young savage made an effort like everyone else, but what he offered was not a Franck Ribery at his best. What use are the flank runs when the balls he passes in direction of the penalty area turn to end up somewhere in the nowhere of an Athens night? Right: nothing. If Pep Guardiola had seen this performance, he would probably have lost his very last hair. On the other hand, one like Guardiola would not have allowed one like Gnabry to play such a “shit” (Hoeneß). After all, Gnabry was not the only one who struggled to shoot and storm but failed to convince Pep Guardiola.
Now, talking about making an effort: Not only Niklas Süle tried his best at the back, however he was particularly noticeable. In the end, the Kovac team played with Manuel Neuer in goal against harmless attackers of Athlitikί Énosis Konstantinoupόleos (AEK) to zero. The yellow-blacks did not have a good chance during 90 minutes. FC Bayern at least tried to take more ball possession and got a few promising opportunities for goals. Their victory is okay.
Anyway, the second leg against AEK Athens F.C. will take place on November 7, 2018 in the Bavarian capital. We from Weltexpress will watch the game again at the Hofbräuhaus Berlin. No need of carrying beer to Munich for us!
Christopher Prescott based on a text by Ralf-Rüdiger Okudera.
