Bayern Munich never really looked like scoring against Werder Bremen on Sunday. All of the post-match statistics – 22 shots, seven on target, 1.9 expected goals – suggested they should have done, but only once did the Bavarians truly come close to make the visitors sweat, when teenage substitute Mathys Tel cracked a header off the post late on.
Werder, for their part, defended well, and hit the Bundesliga champions on the break, scoring via a fine finish from ex-Bayern youngster Mitchell Weiser, who danced around Alphonso Davies before lashing the ball into the roof of the net for the game’s only goal.
The Bavarians are now seven points behind league-leading Bayer Leverkusen – albeit with a game in hand to be played on Wednesday against Union Berlin – and are showing very few signs of improvement under manager Thomas Tuchel. Harry Kane has been prolific, but the team around him is crumbling. Rumours of a mass squad overhaul are brewing, brought about by stalling contract negotiations with several key players.
It must all feel very familiar for Tuchel, who despite his successes, is no stranger to being fired when things start to turn. The former Chelsea manager has lambasted his players in the media, but his football his stale, and after a promising start to the season, the future looks murky at best.