Emmanuel Thomas I Monday, May 1, 2023
BAVARIA -Bayern Munich captain Thomas Müller is now convinced his side will lift an 11th straight Bundesliga title. The Bavarians are top again by a point after Sunday’s laboured 2-0 home win over bottom side Hertha Berlin followed Borussia Dortmund’s controversial 1-1 draw at Bochum on Friday.
There are just four rounds of matches left in the most exciting German title race in over a decade. Bayern next visit mid-table Werder Bremen on Saturday while Dortmund welcome Wolfsburg next Sunday.
“We are back! Now we are going to get that thing,” Müller told reporters after Serge Gnabry (69th minute) and Kingsley Coman (79) netted after a nervous encounter.
Müller – deputizing as club skipper with goalkeeper Manuel Neuer out for the season with a broken leg – started on the bench and Joshua Kimmich took the armband, ultimately inspiring the victory with two perfect assists.
After four games without a win, coach Thomas Tuchel was mightily relieved. “We have taken a step forward and just need to take four more steps,” he said.
The decision to replace Julian Nagelsmann with Tuchel in March looked to have backfired after Champions League and German Cup exits were followed by a 3-1 league defeat at Mainz two weekends ago, which handed the title advantage to Dortmund.
Bayern are now back in the box seat but the pressure on chief executive Oliver Kahn remains intense. Both the coaching change and decision to enter the season without a main striker after the sale of Robert Lewandowski could come back to haunt the former keeper.
“My focus at the moment is not on such discussions but only on the German championship,” he said when asked about rumours he could be sacked at the end of the season.
“I think the team showed how much the game meant. In such a phase it is not about winning beauty prizes, it is about winning and taking over again at the top. We did that.”
