On matchday 33 of the soon-to-be-concluded 2024/25 Bundesliga season, Bayern Munich hosted mid-table side Borussia Mönchengladbach. Having already reclaimed the Meisterschale last weekend, Saturday’s game was in some ways just a prelude to the celebrations and farewells at the Allianz Arena with the home fans.
In a game that sometimes resembled a ‘wild-west’ shootout, Bayern Munich combined superior quality in the attacking third, superb goalkeeping, and some resolute defending to get the better of the visitors.
The game was understandably overshadowed by the post-match activity in which the living legend Thomas Muller, who played his final Bundesliga game at the Allianz Arena, was honoured as he said his farewells to the Bavarian faithful. As sad as it was to witness Muller’s farewell, let’s continue with the tradition of looking at some noteworthy takeaways from Saturday’s match.
Bayern’s slow start didn’t prove costly
Bayern Munich were slow out of the blocks against Monchengladbach. The visitors looked more likely to score early on despite having less possession.
Considering the circumstances, the slow start for Bayern could have been forgiven. Thomas Muller was given the start as the number ten by Vincent Kompany, and yet with so much emotion to contain, ahead of his farewell, Muller was still able to deliver a typically inspiring performance once he and his teammates had settled into a rhythm. Midway through the second half, he was denied a fairy-tale goal when his close-range shot deflected off a defender for a corner.
Apart from Muller, Harry Kane would also have been suppressing emotions during the game as the 2024/25 Bundesliga trophy is the first trophy of his career, which he lifted after the game.