Most reasonable Reds didn't blame Pep against Atlético. Dropping Müller for the first leg was debatable but understandable.
The reasons this time around are different and perhaps more insightful. The game management of Real was far, far better than that of Bayern. Bayern just didn't know what to do with one man down. To see how ill-equipped they were to handle the situation shows the drawbacks of monopoly in the league. They just aren't battle-hardened enough.
The board and Ancelotti are to blame for not having back-up for Lewandowski. I remember Ancelotti experimenting in all other positions except this one. Why the board didn't invest in a young forward is baffling.
Bayern had a great chance to do it this time, with Alonso and Lahm motivated for a final hurrah. It's not over yet, but very difficult now..
Very good points and I agree 100%.
Let me expand a little.
The game management observation is crucial.
We did not behave well tactically, but not just after the red card, but already after the equalizer. Martinez's two yellows were already a consequence of our bad game management - the first he got after making a completely unneccessary dribbling foray in the middle and losing the ball, the second he got because we got outcountered once again while running ahead in search for an equalizer.
The backup striker point, I've been vocal about this here numerous times, starting with the first post.
People pointed out that Lewa is never injured and Müller can play striker.
Well.
Lewa was injured, and I think we can now once and for all bury the argument that Müller can play as CF if must.
He can't.
He neither has the physique nor the technical skills to play the position at a top level, to control and hold up balls in tight spaces. He was absolutely terrible yesterday, having a guy perform like that in such an important position in such an important game is frankly unacceptable at that level.
About the battle-hardened point, another crucial observation. It's surely no coincidence our best peak level coincided with a high point in terms of Bundeliga competition - peak Kloppmund.
This season, Bundesliga has been disappointingly poor, and especially the supposed top teams.
BVB was no match at all last weekend, all of Leverkusen, Gladbach, Schalke, Wolfsburg are nowhere near a level where they could meaningfully challenge us or compete with us.
That means, we play too few games at top level during the season. I think it is a huge problem.
Now the smaller clubs have performed well in Bundesliga, and they are never that easy to beat, they make it tough for us within their means and don't 'roll over' or some such BS; but the individual quality is just not comparable to, say the quality the top La Liga teams have to face week in week out.
Look at our defense - we afforded space and time to Ronaldo that we get away with when it's Burgstaller. We wouldn't get away with it if it was Griezmann or Jovetic.
