5 reasons why Bayern Munich are still not ready to win the Champions League
Guardiola’s Bayern Munich struggling to dominate Champions League games this season×Proofread When the nightmare ended with a 5-0 aggregate loss to Real Madrid at the Allianz Arena, Pep Guardiola vowed to make a strong comeback and win the Champions League. That night in Munich changed the way in which people perceived possession football. Tiki-taka was doubted. Guardiola’s “keep the ball, pass the ball” technique needs an evolution.Guardiola has tested out the variants of “three at the back” and has adopted a counter pressing system. So far, so good. But can Bayern resist the teams that play on the counter? Last season Bayern Munich was clearly the favorite to reach the finals of CL. But Real Madrid’s pressure soaking defensive setup and quick attacks on the break put dent to Bayern’s progress. After watching Guardiola’s men for 5 months, I think, their playing style has changed but they are not yet ready to win the Champions League.
#1 Bayern needs to change its mentality
In terms of the mentality between Bayern Munich of 2013 and Bayern Munich of 2014, there is very little difference. Last year, Pep’s side played wide and was in no rush to break open the opposition. The same has continued this year.
The problem arises when playing against teams which prefer to defend and settle for a draw instead of taking chances by playing openly. In the Champions League group match against CSKA Moscow, Bayern had plenty of time on the ball but it managed to score only one goal. The Bavarians kept passing the ball outside CSKA’s penalty box while the opposition players stayed behind the ball.
Guardiola can, alternatively, play possession game in the midfield and gear up the tempo suddenly in order to catch the opposition off guard, instead of piling the pressure from minute one.