Following Bayern Munich’s drab 1-1 draw against TSG Hoffenheim, the hopes that the club would finish the season with two trophies (yes, the DFL-Supercup counts) dimmed a little. However, Bayern alum Lothar Matthäus is still backing his former club to win its eleventh consecutive Bundesliga title.
There is a twist, though: Matthäus isn’t praising Bayern for their performances, but rather trashing that of their direct competitors, Borussia Dortmund. Dortmund missed a golden opportunity to draw level on points with Bayern by spectacularly blowing two leads to relegation-threatened 10-man VfB Stuttgart, one deep into stoppage time just minutes after they had supposedly won the game.
“You can’t become a champion like that, so it will be Bayern again,” said Matthäus to Sky. “Dortmund don’t accept the things that are offered to them and that’s unbelievable. Dortmund simply has to get through a game like this with experience.”
Fellow Sky pundit Didi Hamann also didn’t mince words in criticizing the collapse. “If one thing was shown today, it’s that they really have a head problem,” said the former Bayern midfielder. “It was a great opportunity wasted.”
The title race is far from over. Bayern still have to go to Mainz, their toughest remaining away fixture of the season, and face RB Leipzig at home on the penultimate matchday. Meanwhile, Dortmund’s schedule is a bit easier, with only two more away games left compared to Bayern’s three, but they still need to visit Augsburg, a team with a penchant for dropping unexpected bombs, while their next opponents Eintracht Frankfurt are no picnic.
It remains to be seen how crucial these dropped points will be in the title race.