In impressive form: Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski here against Cologne defender Luca Kilian (left).
Photo: AFP/Ina Fassbender
Before he started his return journey to Munich, Julian Nagelsmann wanted to get rid of one important piece of information. The Cologne colleague Steffen Baumgart had just given information about the details of his textile exchange with Bayern captain Manuel Neuer. Baumgart (“I’ve wanted a jersey from Manu for a very long time”) had dusted off Neuer’s green goalkeeper kit. In return, the national keeper (»The cap is already legendary«) was handed his famous flat cap by his admirer. An addition to the Neuersche wardrobe, about which FCB coach Nagelsmann reported when leaving the Cologne stadium: “It also suits him well, by the way.”
The clear 4-0 in the cathedral city looked good to the entire ensemble from the Free State – with which the pursuer Dortmund was kept at a quite comfortable six-point distance. »Dortmund is one thing. But for us it was important to get our first win of the year. 4-0 is quite clear – and it’s always the games that signal that we’re there,” commented ball catcher Neuer on the situation in classic Bayern diction.
Two of the usual suspects, Robert Lewandowski (three goals) and Thomas Müller (two assists), played a significant role in the resounding success of the Cologne team, who had won the last three games but were completely overwhelmed on Saturday. Accordingly, the newcomer, who returned to the goal after a corona infection, appreciated not only the good Munich “air duels” and the fact that Leroy Sané found his way into the team with two assists after his substitution, but also “the machine in the front of the box”. Or to put it more precisely: »Lewy has done his things again.«
It was things 21 to 23 this season, and Torfabrik Lewandowski was already preparing for the start of the new week after the freshly cracked 300 goal in the Bundesliga – when FIFA will choose the world footballer 2021. “The award is given digitally,” club coach Nagelsmann provided a detail – and gave the 33-year-old Poland emotional support: “I hope he wins the title he deserves on Monday.”
For Lewandowski it would be the second world footballer crown after 2020, with Thomas Müller Nagelsmann has just lost track of it. “Is it already 18 or 19,” he mused about the number of assists the veteran had in this round, but ultimately stated: “That’s extraordinary, he’s welcome to continue like this.”
Carry on as in Cologne, when Müller set up the goals of Lewandowski and Corentin Tolisso before the break with his season assists numbers 17 and 18 – and thus further intensified the hunt for his own record. Two years ago he had prepared 21 Munich goals. Which is why Nagelsmann, who was still working in Leipzig at the time, now stated two things: “The statistics show that he is obviously very helpful to the team.” And: “Recognizing spaces is simply Thomas’ great gift.”
In the past, Monsieur Tolisso was not allowed to show his skills quite as often as the nation’s interpreter of space. In Cologne, the French national player managed this all the more impressively – not only because of his technically first-class goal to make it 2-0 in the middle of the first half, with which he crowned the best Bayern combination of the entire game.
However, the 27-year-old’s contract is expiring, and the French sports daily »L’Équipe« recently reported that Bayern have not made any attempts to bind Tolisso for the long term. The midfield player, who comes from the Beaujolais wine-growing region, therefore tends to continue his career in Spain or England. The player is “old enough” to clarify his future, Nagelsmann said at the moment, but at the same time he made his own view of things very clear: “I rate it all as a sport – and as a sport it is of great importance to us. And of course you would like to continue working with your players, that’s quite normal.”
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