The Bayer Leverkusen social media team had doubtless been waiting and hoping the moment to pounce would arrive. It duly did last Saturday after Bayern Munich let the lead slip at home against FC Augsburg and then lost the game 2-1, their first Bundesliga defeat of the season.
I must confess to thinking it was highly likely that the Rekordmeister would equal the feat of Xabi Alonso's double winners in 2023-24 by going an entire domestic campaign unbeaten. I don't suppose in the grand scheme of things, a minor blip like that suffered last week will haunt Vincent Kompany & Co. for long. Bayern have other fish to fry, starting with a trip to their coach's old club Hamburg SV, where the Nord-Sd-Gipfel (north-south summit) will go ahead on Saturday (stream LIVE at 12:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+ in the U.S.). HSV, ravaged by injuries and struggling for goals, will do well to come anywhere close to matching Augsburg's energetic and effective performance at the Allianz Arena.
It was so very Bayern-like (an English expression used in German, too) to swiftly turn the page on Augsburg and roar to victory at PSV Eindhoven in the UEFA Champions League. Seven wins from eight games in the new competition format is nothing to sniff at and gives Bayern potentially crucial home advantage in the return legs between now and -- potentially -- the final.
This might seem like thinking too far ahead, but there are more than a few at Bayern's Sbener Strae HQ who feel it was damaging last season to have to go through a playoff-round tie against Celtic and then later, to have to travel to the San Siro for the ultimately unsuccessful second leg against Inter Milan.
Bayern have it all buttoned up, which allows them in February (at least) to focus on domestic goals: the Bundesliga and a challenging DFB-Pokal quarterfinal against RB Leipzig in less than two weeks.
The most heartwarming aspect of Wednesday's win in the Netherlands was the return to the starting XI of Jamal Musiala, who provided the opening goal of the contest to boot. That Musiala's presence only adds to Kompany's selection headache in the creative positions is not a concern for Bayern fans as a whole.
We also got more than a glimpse of Bayern's possible future between the posts in midweek. Jonas Urbig pulled off a string of top-level saves in a performance that will make many believe he is the true heir apparent to Manuel Neuer. As of now, it's unknown what Neuer's intentions amount to beyond this season when the 39-year-old's contract is due to expire.
The winning goal came, perhaps inevitably, from Harry Kane. On Monday, Bayern's sporting CEO Max Eberl confirmed that talks are underway with the England captain with a view to extending his contract past 2027.
Frankly, it will be stunning to me if the marriage is dissolved prematurely. Kane clearly enjoys life in Munich, and who wouldn't? On the football side, Bayern have given him an outlet for winning trophies by the boatload, which was the one thing missing at Tottenham Hotspur. It's also clear he appreciates German football culture and the more highly charged in-stadium atmosphere.
Kane at this point has nothing to prove to anyone (120 goals in 127 games so far for Bayern) and no need to complicate things by trying out another new city.
Bayern greatly appreciate his sheer professionalism. The fit has been well-nigh perfect. This should be an easy one to agree on.
Champions League reflects German pretenders' status
The league phase has its critics, but over eight games as a snapshot of where the four Bundesliga representatives are in reality, it has been spot on this term.
Leverkusen 16th and Borussia Dortmund 17th -- roughly middle of the pack in the 36-team field -- is an accurate depiction of two teams that are unlikely to challenge for the trophy. BVB will be cross with themselves for botching the chance to secure a direct ticket for the round of 16 thanks to a home defeat against Inter.
I have been slightly critical of Malik Tillman in his maiden season with Bayer 04. Then again the United States international was hampered by injury after joining in the summer and hasn't always been able to play and flourish in his preferred Spielmacher (playmaker) position.
Wednesday night against Villarreal saw Tillman at his best, scoring the first two goals in a 3-0 triumph and generally lighting up the evening at the BayArena. The next assignment is to do it more consistently -- you would expect that from a 35 million signing -- and against higher-level opposition than Villarreal have proved to be in Europe this season.
Eintracht Frankfurt in 33rd, as in the Bundesliga, conceded far too many goals in a Champions League campaign that, on fixtures weighting, always looked difficult.
If, as looks likely, Albert Riera becomes the successor to coach Dino Toppmller, he faces a stern test just to get the club into European competition next season. Last week's defeat at the hands of surprise package TSG Hoffenheim has made that road even more pothole-ridden.
