Winning is supposed to put a smile on your face, but apparently, that memo did not reach Bayern Munich’s defenders and goalkeeper after Saturday’s 2-1 victory over Mainz 05.
Bayern Munich board member for sport Max Eberl revealed that he walked into the dressing room after the final whistle and found two center-backs and the goalkeeper looking thoroughly miserable. The reason? They had conceded a late goal to Philip Tietz and lost the clean sheet. For a group that has increasingly taken pride in its
defensive performances, apparently, a victory was not enough to make everyone happy.
Eberl was impressed by the reaction, seeing it as evidence of the standards the defensive unit has established.
“I find it remarkable that you walk into the dressing room and see two center-backs and the goalkeeper sitting there looking so dejected. Then you look at them, and they say: ‘Yes, we wanted to keep a clean sheet,’ — I think that perfectly reflects how they are playing at the moment, how they defend their goal and how they approach their duels,” Eberl told Tz’s newsletter, Absolut Bayern (as captured by @iMiaSanMia).
There is something encouraging about that mentality. Bayern Munich had just secured three points, but its defenders were still frustrated by the one thing they could not accomplish. That hunger to defend every inch of the pitch, even when the result is already secured, is exactly the sort of mentality Vincent Kompany will want to maintain.
Three points are great. Three points and a clean sheet? Apparently, that is the bare minimum for this defensive unit.
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