Bayern Munich are going through the gloomiest of weeks. There was the devastating defeat to Manchester City in the Champions League, the whole mess between Leroy Sané and Sadio Mané, and the dull draw with Hoffenheim. Starting striker Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting is still training without the ball, which means that he’ll most likely miss the return leg against City. Bayern have been mediocre at best in their last two games, and when you add that to Erling Haaland’s red hot form, the team will be lucky to avoid a battering for the history books.
HOWEVER!
I know I may be the only one saying this, but it is not time to give up. No, sir.
You might be asking what kind of paint stripper I’ve been drinking, and maybe asking me for some if times are tough on your end, but I am dead serious on my end. So what kind of evidence am I suggesting to support my claim, you may ask?
Well, dear reader, for starters, Champions League comebacks aren’t that uncommon to begin with. Yes, comebacks of this magnitude are hard to come by, but isn’t it about time for one of them? It’s been four years since the last three-goal comeback, and since a lot of major tournaments are once every four years, that’s a good omen, eh?
But Maverick, you mindless mollycoddling maniac, I hear you say, just look at the state of our team. Yes, we’ve been playing horrendously for the past two games. But have we really? I saw fight against Freiburg, I saw fight against Hoffenheim, and before the silly second goal, even against Man City. Likewise, we know we are capable of showing fight, so who’s to say we can’t show it again? Of course, fight isn’t enough sometimes, as shown by the Hoffenheim game, but to have even a small chance of beating a team like City, fight is absolutely necessary.
Liverpool weren’t in the greatest place when they took on Barcelona back in 2019. They were also missing two of their starting forwards in Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah. Not too different from what we’re going through. Look what happened in the end. The Allianz Arena is just as much a fortress as Anfield is, if not bigger and better. With 70000 fans screaming our name, anything can happen.
Who saw South Korea downing Germany and Portugal in two consecutive World Cups? Who saw Roma kicking Barcelona out of the Champions League? Heck, who saw Real Madrid mount three consecutive comebacks on their way to their 14th European crown? Miracles happen in football, and this season’s Champions League is long overdue for one. It just might be our turn now. Nothing, absolutely nothing is impossible in football.
But Maverick, you delusional dumb dunderhead, I hear you say again, you have to accept the reality that City will most likely go through. Yes, I know. Deep down inside, there is a little voice inside me that’s telling me the same. However, I believe in the team, and even though it may not be enough in the end, isn’t a proud performance all we can ask for at this point? If we start small, maybe just by promising a good performance in front of the fans, that alone can lead to miracles. If we fight tooth and nail for every ball, if we don’t give up no matter how dire the situation is, then anything is possible.
Going back to South Korea, I’ve seen them play all my life, and I’ve come to realize that regardless of the result, it is just heartwarming to see players give their all for their country on the pitch, and sometimes, that leads to unbelievable results. A popular saying in Korea nowadays is “중요한 것은 꺾이지 않는 마음,” which can be loosely translated to “the important thing is the heart that doesn’t die.” It was already widely known over the country, but was particularly thrust into the limelight after the dramatic miracle win over Portugal at the last World Cup, a win that sent Korea through to the next round for only the second time on foreign soil. Even against Brazil, the Koreans didn’t give up despite going four goals down, and ended up scoring one of the goals of the tournament.
My point is, if Korea can summon that heart and turn it into gold, so can Bayern. The heart is not dead at Bayern. How do I know this, you may ask. No explanation. I just feel it. The truth is, the heart was never dead at Bayern. As long as there are fans who believe in the team and the badge, the heart will go on. Titanic reference anyone? Anyway, as long as the heart keeps going on, we need not be afraid of Man City, or any team for that matter. Yes, we will stumble, sometimes we will fall, but we will always get back up. And it’s about time we got back up. Remember, this is a club that went through some of the most devastating defeats in football history, and always managed to bounce back in spectacular fashion. We are FC Bayern.
Again, I know I am sounding unrealistic. I know full well that there is a very low chance of Bayern producing a miracle on Wednesday. But as low as it is, there is still a chance. We have nothing to lose, and this makes us stronger. All we have to do is sit back and enjoy the ride.
If we manage to salvage some pride on Wednesday, I will be satisfied regardless of the result. And if, by some miracle we do turn this thing around, I will personally travel to Munich and deliver a gift to the club, no matter what it is. Mark my words.
Niemals aufgeben. Mia san mia.