Olaf Janssen thought it would get worse. “I’ll be honest: I’m going into the game with a queasy feeling,” said coach Viktoria Köln after losing the first round of the DFB Cup against FC Bayern late on Wednesday evening. “I thought there could be 15 or 20 against Bayern without you being able to do anything about it.”
There were “only” five goals conceded for the brave third-division club, the record German soccer champions from Munich won 5-0 (2-0). That was a result because “we also feel like winners,” said Janßen.
Sports Director Franz Wunderlich saw it similarly. “You just have to look at what they substituted on. One ICE goes out and the next ICE comes in. That’s why we sold well, also in terms of earnings.”
Bayern never let up during the 90 minutes. Hasan Salihamidzic raves about his team’s goals. And their diligence and commitment, not only during the game. The sports director said after the win: “If you look at our training sessions, they are really better than some Bundesliga games.” A statement that must hurt the competition. And sure to spark discussion.
Almost every day, Salihamidzic watches the secret training session with technical director Marco Neppe from his office on the club premises on Säbener Straße. “It was exactly what we set out to do against Viktoria,” he said. “We had a lot of changes, but everyone had the right attitude. That’s what you wish for: that there was such competition in the team.”
When the score was 2-0 after 45 minutes, the substitutes really wanted to go in. Coach Julian Nagelsmann said: “It’s not a given that a player who has already won the Champions League comes to me at half-time and says he really wants to play. That is what characterizes the team at the moment.”
National player Leon Goretzka played for the first time in weeks, after being substituted on in the 68th minute of the game, he scored to make it 5-0 (82nd). “It wasn’t an easy time for me,” said the 27-year-old on ARD. “Actually, I had a good feeling about the preparation and then it was said that you had to go to the operating table.” The surprising knee operation in mid-July forced Goretzka to take the long break.
“Now I feel in great shape, I’ve worked on my fitness, now the season can start for me,” said Goretzka. It was “rehab as you wish it was,” he added to Sky. His trainer Nagelsmann said: “You could see that a load fell from his heart.” Goretzka was “an extremely good guy”.
The quick and successful return of the midfielder should also have pleased national coach Hansi Flick. Flick is planning with Goretzka for the World Cup in Qatar, which starts on November 20th. There are only two international matches for the national team before the squad is nominated: at the end of September in Leipzig against Hungary and in London against England.
Incidentally, there will be no last-minute transfers at FC Bayern. “No, everything is done and I think it’s done well too,” said Salihamidzic on Wednesday evening. “We’re happy with the way the team is doing. This is how we want to start the season.”
