Bayern Munich coach Niko Kovac is frustrated with his defense
Croatian manager Niko Kovac expressed his frustration after Bayern Munich once again failed to keep a clean sheet in their Bundesliga match at Mainz.
Bayern Munich extended their winning run to three games after clinching a narrow 2-1 win over Mainz on Saturday. The Bavarians are now second in the Bundesliga after this win and trail Borussia Dortmund by just two points. Bayern had to work hard for this win, but Niko Kovac whatever he can get right now to boost the confidence of his players.
The defending champions had a pretty flat first-half, creating few chances. Leon Goretzka eventually broke the deadlock at the cusp of half-time with a fine volley. However, Bayern couldn’t hold on to this lead for long as Jean-Paul Boetius scored the equalizer just after the restart.
Bayern Munich eventually went on to find the winner, but Kovac was not happy with his side’s defensive organization, or lack thereof. Speaking to the media after the game (via FourFourTwo), Kovac expressed his frustration with his team for conceding such a weak goal, but he also applauded his players for creating several chances after conceding the equalizer.
"“I was annoyed that what we had discussed during the break was not implemented. We fall asleep and get into trouble. But I’m glad that the team still created opportunities.“It was a hard win, which was certainly not as good as we had hoped. But in our current situation, we are happy to have won our last three games. I think the victory was deserved. We are satisfied and we hope it will continue.”"
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There has been much talk about Bayern’s ineffectiveness in the final third. They’ve often looked bereft of ideas in the attacking department and are 12 goals behind Borussia Dortmund for the season. However, Bayern’s defensive record is perhaps even more concerning. They have kept only two clean sheets in nine Bundesliga games this season, despite the return of Manuel Neuer. The club captain missed almost the entirety of last season due to a serious foot injury, and many expected Bayern’s defense to improve significantly after his return.
The Bundesliga teams have identified the two glaring weakness in Bayern’s defense. There is a lack of pace in the center-backs, this is particularly true of Mats Hummels and Jerome Boateng. Combined with the Bavarians’ high defensive line, this allows teams to counter-attack quickly and effectively.
Joshua Kimmich has been a fine player for Bayern till now, but the right side of defense is the other weakness in Bayern’s back four. Kimmich provides a very good dimension to Bayern’s attack by putting in pinpoint crosses and linking up well with the attacking players. However, his adventurous nature often makes him defensively vulnerable, which many teams have already taken advantage of.
Next. Bayern Munich scout Club Brugge striker Wesley Moraes. dark
The results are the most important thing for Bayern Munich right now, so for the time being these defensive issues do not take center stage. Thomas Muller recently claimed that Bayern cannot complain about the particulars of their performances as long as they keep winning. Kovac’s first truly big game with his new club comes against Borussia Dortmund next month. Lapses in concentration could prove fatal in such a big match, and Kovac will hope to have his defense better disciplined before then.