Perfect Storm Strikes as Borussia Monchengladbach Stun Bayern Munich

Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday became the first Bundesliga team to beat Bayern Munich in normal time this season, taking three points in rather emphatic manner with a 3-1 win at Borussia-Park.

After withstanding an early flurry, the hosts opened a commanding three-goal lead in the second half and denied Pep Guardiola’s men the winter title—at least temporarily. It was a tactical masterclass from Gladbach coach Andre Schubert, and the hosts put up a heroic effort. After the match, there were some take-home messages for Bayern.

The first is that an inability to finish can and will, under the right circumstances, be punished even in the Bundesliga. Bayern came ready to play and faced a resilient Gladbach side, but nonetheless they were the better team before going behind.

They were unlucky not to be leading by a few goals within the first half-hour, with Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Muller forcing good saves and Kingsley Coman hitting the post. Bayern, as of late, have often put games away early on, but this time they couldn’t take their chances and were pushed.

That brings up the second point: Gladbach didn’t take to the pitch looking defeated. Even three or four years ago, clubs would often face Bayern and give every last bit of effort they could muster to make a contest of it. And up until that time, they could actually take a point or more if they played at their very best.

But in the last few years, more and more teams have simply gone through the motions, lacking belief. The same thing happened when many faced Borussia Dortmund during their heyday under Jurgen Klopp, but once the cracks started to form in his tenure at the Signal Iduna Park, BVB’s scalp became a very attainable and very attractive one for opponents, who started to play with more belief and determination.

Bayern are a long way from being in danger, and most teams will continue to have little hope when facing them, but on Saturday we at least caught a glimpse of what genuine, confident, Bundesliga opposition looks like.

Finally, it’s worth noting the circumstances under which Gladbach earned their result were particularly exceptional. One benefit was playing at home in front of some of Germany’s most devout fans, and it helps they came into the match in outstanding form.

The other key factor was that Gladbach entered the game fresh. Germany’s best clubs play in the Champions League or Europa League, and those aside from Bayern lack the depth to play at a high level three times in seven days. On Saturday, Bayern faced Bundesliga opposition that was both of a formidable level and fresh.

Player for player, Bayern were far superior to Gladbach. But what the hosts lacked in individual skill, they made up for with sheer determination and effort; on the night, Schubert’s men covered, according to the official Bundesliga live ticker, 122.08 km, significantly more than Bayern’s 115.92 and a figure that truly represents a yeoman’s effort.

Had they played on Wednesday, the Fohlen may have been able to cover approximately the same distance. But the explosiveness over the first five yards, the extra mental sharpness were factors that would probably have waned later in the match.

Thus, a bit of a perfect storm struck Bayern on Saturday, as they faced a skillful, fit, confident and in-form team away from home and failed to take their chances early. It wasn't a fluke, but a series of factors combined to produce a rather devastating result. It's just one match, but Guardiola will need to heed its lessons if Bayern are to reach their season targets.

@Mr_Bundesliga