Bayern Munich's Relentless Will to Win Puts Them Within Touching Distance of Record 30th Title
It wasn’t Bayern Munich at their very best, but Die Roten still put in a very good performance on Saturday. Borussia Mönchengladbach were the visitors to Bavaria, where the hosts were looking to take another huge step toward winning an eighth straight Bundesliga title.
Following’s last week’s 4-2 comeback at Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern were looking to make it 10 wins in a row. Hans-Dieter Flick’s team could also go 17 games unbeaten in the league; all in, their recent form has been rather astonishing.
The gap at the top had been closed to four points once again, only because Borussia Dortmund had found a late winner in their 1-0 win over Fortuna Düsseldorf earlier on Saturday. It was time for Bayern to reopen it to seven, with another big performance against the last team to beat them – six months ago.
As is routine for Bayern, they broke the deadlock first, albeit in peculiar fashion. Mönchengladbach goalkeeper Yann Sommer, who moments earlier had pulled off a wonderful save, diverted his clearance right into the path of Joshua Zirkzee. The FCB starlet, starting in place of the suspended Robert Lewandowski, duly obliged by striking it into the back of the net to put the hosts ahead.
But, having just pegged back the visitors, Bayern would find themselves succumb to the same fate.
This time, it was Benjamin Pavard whose mistake gifted Mönchengladbach the goal. His own goal was unfortunate but a deserved equaliser for Die Fohlen, as the two sides went into the break neck-and-neck.
Bayern needed to step up, first breaking down the resilient visitors’ defence before finding a winner. It came late on through one of their defensive midfielders, a certain Leon Goretzka popping up and finding his way into the box to stab home the winner. He was in the right place at the right time with a strong run, on hand to seal all three points for Bayern.
The rhetoric is the same every week, such is the quality and consistency of Bayern. Another win, another strong performance and another game closer to the title, which they’ve seemingly had one hand on since Flick revolutionised this lost Bayern side.
Not a single defeat in 2020, in the Bundesliga, DFB Cup or Champions League. It’s the winning mentality that has always existed at Bayern, one which has been more evident than ever throughout this season. Especially since the restart, FCB have been absolutely relentless, winning every single game and defeating every single opponent in their path.
The majority of the hard work has been done, as Meisterschaft number 30 is just mere days away. An unprecedented eighth league title is also on the cards, a remarkable feat for the side who have truly ruled German football this last decade – and the last century, for that matter.
Next Tuesday’s visit to Werder Bremen may well wrap up the title race and the title itself for Bayern. A win at the Weserstadion is enough for Flick’s men, the three points putting them beyond reach of Lucien Favre’s Borussia Dortmund.
Bayern’s winning run began with the 6-1 thrashing of Werder Bremen, where they have since beaten every single team in the Bundesliga. The last two victories over Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Mönchengladbach were significant, gaining revenge over the last two teams to beat them back in November and December respectively.
Every team has fallen at the hands of Bayern, and the time is now to hold the Meisterschaft shield in their hands. The title has been inevitable since the league’s resumption after the winter break, and it’s nearly time to confirm it.
One more win is all that is needed, for a record 30th title. The time is now.
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