Have Bayern Munich Lost Focus?

Jean-Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting of Bayern Munich in today’s defeat at FC Augsburg.

Bayern Munich seem to have lost focus as they lost 1-0 away to Augsburg in the Bundesliga on Saturday afternoon.

After the defeat, The Bavarian giants record over their last five Bundesliga games is a measly three points from a possible fifteen. The Augsburg result may be Bayern’s first loss of the season, but as it stands they’ve won less than half their league games thus far, something uncharacteristic of the juggernaut of a club that is Die Roten.

Bayern’s form in the UEFA Champions League, however, doesn’t resonate any of their league performances as Julian Nagelsmann’s side sit top of Group C, which was dubbed as the ‘Group of Death.’ This comes off the back of impressive results against both Inter Milan and Barcelona, both by a 2-0 scoreline.

Bayern’s performances in the Bundesliga pale in comparison to their UCL exploits, which suggest Bayern have lost focus on their domestic commitments. Understandable given their utter dominance of Germany over the last decade, winning the league in the 2021/2022 campaign for an astonishing tenth time on the spin.

However, a loss of focus or a change in approach towards the Bundesliga seems naïve considering Bayern’s European pedigree. Had Bayern dominated Germany for the previous ten years, without having previously tasted European Cup success, the switch in emphasis would have made more sense, similar to what we’re witnessing with PSG.

Today’s game against Augsburg, however, served as evidence to suggest that this Bayern team is weaker than before, with the tempo of passing being unlike a Die Roten team we’ve seen in the last decade. Fans are even suggesting that the Barca and Inter games were bad for the long-term health of the Club, indicating that the results just papered over the cracks. Bayern’s hold on the Bundesliga could be slipping away after their loss of focus. Borussia Dortmund currently lead the way, sitting three points ahead of Bayern having seen off rivals Schalke 04 earlier on Saturday. Union Berlin, who are currently sitting second in the standings by a single point, are due to play tomorrow. Should they win, Bayern will sit five points off the summit of the Bundesliga heading into October.