Bayern Munich was at the receiving end in an electric German Cup performance from Borussia Monchengladbach. Gladbach won the game 5-0 and advanced to the Round of 16 of the DFB Pokal.
Kouadio Kone first pressed Bayern’s alarm button after just two minutes when he scored the opening goal in the game. Ramy Bensebaini made it 2-0 in the 15th minute, then the Algerian netted again from the penalty spot in the 21st minute to give Gladbach an unassailable lead. Bayern’s much-awaited comeback didn’t come in the second half either, with goals from Breel Embolo (’51 and ’57) adding even more salt to the champions’ wounds.
Bayern played their best possible 11, with the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Manuel Neuer, Joshua Kimmich, Thomas Muller, and Serge Gnabry all included.
“That was shocking. We weren’t there,” sports director Hasan Salihamidzic said after the game. “We didn’t win a single challenge in the first half, there were no transitions. That was a collective blackout, actually inexplicable,” he added.
For Bayern, the defeat to Gladbach on Wednesday was the worst they ever suffered in the Cup. Bayern failed to score for the first time in 84 competitive games since RB Leipzig held a clean sheet against them in February 2020.
Last year, Bayern also went out in the Cup’s second round.
“I haven’t seen such a collective failure from a Bayern team in an important game before. That’s why it’s difficult to wrap your head around, to be honest,” Thomas Muller said. “We never got to the point where our Bayern engine kicked in. We can only apologize to the fans and congratulate Gladbach. Except for Neuer, it was a catastrophic performance from us,” the forward commented.
Coach Julian Nagelsmann couldn’t sit on the sidelines for Bayern, as he is still in quarantine following his COVID-19 confirmation.
“We have to put this game behind us somehow because we only have a few days until the next game in Berlin. I’ve never experienced such a situation before,” Muller replied when asked if Nagelsmann’s absence had anything to do with the team’s performance in Monchengladbach.
Bayern leads the Bundesliga table after nine games with 22 points, one more than Borussia Dortmund. On Saturday, Bayern travels to play Union Berlin before they host Benfica in the Champions League on Tuesday.