A tough 3-1 midweek defeat for Die Auswahl against FC Fayern

After Bayern’s disappointing Champions League exit at the hands of PSG, the city of Munich could finally look forward to the most anticipated Flutlichtspiel of the week between FC Fayern and Die Auswahl. While this was FC Fayern’s first game of the season, Die Auswahl arrived looking to build on the momentum of their 4-0 victory in their second game, after a shaky start on opening day. At kick-off, the temperature was around 13 degrees with a light breeze. No clue if this counts as normal May weather for Munich, but it is certainly solid football weather.

FC Fayern controlled most of the early possession, with Die Auswahl showing organized, compact defensive structure. No clear-cut chances from either side until 14’, when Max’s speculative effort from a distance narrowly missed the mark. The opening goal came at 28’ from FC Fayern, from a corner which crept in directly after an awkward bounce at the front post. Die Auswahl responded quickly through an equaliser just six minutes later: Olli initially rattled the bar from Matze’s cross, and David was in the right place at the right time to head in the rebound. Shortly after at the other end, Linus kept Die Auswahl in the game with a class save in a one-on-one situation. First half ended 1-1.

At the start of the second half, Die Auswahl started to play more confidently and almost took the lead through Henning, whose brilliant curling effort clipped the bar. The man was undeniably sharp, with the Sitzheizung in his Seat on the way to the game having clearly done its job. FC Fayern hit the bar themselves shortly after at 55’ from a long-range shot, with pressure from their side starting to build up. The 2-1 from Fayern came at 60’, with a long ball over the top which caught the back line flat-footed: the striker got to the ball before Linus, got around him and slotted the ball into an empty net. The 3-1 came minutes after from a counterattack; a first ball was played over the Auswahl backline, after which the ball was pulled-back and met by a clever backheel flick around the six-yard box which trickled in after hitting the front post. Die Auswahl fought until the final whistle, nearly pulling one back in the dying moments: a counterattack from a corner resulted in a 2-on-1 breakaway situation around the halfway line, but the final pass arrived a fraction too late, and the offside flag denied what could have been a 3-2 consolation goal.

Ultimately, this was a hard-fought match against a quality opponent.

There were some very good performances, including David whose hold-up play was excellent. Lots of positives to take into the next game against Battaglione Monaco already on Sunday.

Written by Edouard Bonneville