Bayern Munich's Unfortunate Defeat

Since 2002, 20 years ago, Bayern Munich had not gone four days in the Bundesliga without a single victory like now, with three draws and the defeat suffered this Saturday in the Bavarian duel against Augsburg. Augsburg pressured them, subdued them, surprised them, and defeated them with a goal from Mergim Berisha during the game, with several impressive saves from goalkeeper Rafal Gikiewicz, especially the header from Manuel Neuer in the penultimate chance, and with undeniable merit (1-0).

Bayern Munich no longer instills as much fear. Dazed by three consecutive draws, boosted by their victory against Barcelona midweek in the Champions League, they encountered a fearless Augsburg team. Augsburg looked Bayern Munich straight in the eye, a team infinitely superior from any perspective before the match, but Augsburg opposed them with aggression and relentless high pressure, making it impossible for Bayern Munich to advance. It wasn't until they knocked them out that Augsburg prevailed.

Julian Nagelsmann's powerful team is vulnerable when faced with opposition like Augsburg, with their relentless intensity that denied Bayern Munich any space from the midfield forward. They offered no margin for imagination, maneuvering, or counter-attacks towards their territory, defended in the last instance by goalkeeper Gikiewicz, who was precise when none of those tactics worked during critical moments.

Such was the scene after half an hour of the match that Manuel Neuer, who equaled Sepp Maier with 437 Bundesliga matches, had played a leading role in the game. He made impressive saves, stopping Niederlechner's left-footed shot with the stretch and dominance of one of the world's best goalkeepers. On the other side, Gikiewicz prevented Mané from scoring in an individual duel, being more astute, and caught a shot from Leroy Sané.

Augsburg turned every Bayern Munich ball possession into an ambush, including several disproportionate fouls (some close to receiving yellow and red cards), and trapped one of the best central midfielders in the world, Josuha Kimmich, who has started in every one of Bayern's eleven official matches this season. Kimmich was trapped in an inhospitable territory, caught in the web woven by his opponents.

However, Augsburg not only managed to subdue such an imposing rival but also caused unsettling chaos around their penalty area throughout the first half. It was strange that no goals were scored, regardless of which side attempted to do so. Musiala missed two chances, with Thomas Muller making the difference between the lines. Bauer also failed to score, with a clear header over the crossbar, inside the penalty area, against Neuer.

The home team's performance was commendable, maintaining an unbearable rhythm beyond halftime, with physical demands that would exhaust anyone, and the complexity it presented for the visiting team. The visiting team also lacked precision when they bypassed their opponent's pressing system, relying on speed and counterattacks. But many of those attempts amounted to nothing because, at the decisive moment, the necessary pass for a successful play failed.

And suddenly, just when Bayern Munich felt the closest to scoring, the opposite happened. Their defense of a free kick in midfield was terrible. The ball was delivered into the penalty area and Sané lost the duel with unusual ease against Iago. The Brazilian then assisted with his left thigh, first-touch, inside the penalty area, at the penalty spot, to Mergim Berisha, who converted the decisive goal, making it 1-0, close to the hour mark of the game.

It became a big problem for Bayern, which had another chance through Muller and another save by Gikiewicz, who also made a crucial block against Sané, once again denying a goal with his left foot, just like he did to Mané on the first occasion. Gikiewicz continued to be outstanding in preserving Augsburg's victory. Augsburg, a team fighting relegation, raised concerns for the current champions, who drop to three out of twelve points in their last four matches. They are now one victory away from the top of the table and will have to wait and see how the other matches play out to determine if they remain in the Champions League zone.