In October 2021, Bayern played Borussia Mönchengladbach in the second round of the cup. Nagelsmann had to watch the game from home. He was infected with Corona. He was represented on the sidelines by his assistant coach Dino Toppmöller. So far, so unspectacular. But what then happened under the current Frankfurt coach in Gladbach’s Borussia Park was something that no one in Munich could have dreamed of.

FC Bayern came under more pressure against the “Foals” than ever before in their cup history. After just 21 minutes, Gladbach was already leading 3-0, with Kimmich, Sané and Co. playing completely against the wall. The home team scored two more goals in the second half. Less than an hour had passed and the score was already 5-0 – and in the end that was the final result.

Thomas Müller was stunned after the exit in Gladbach. “I have never experienced such a collective failure by a Bayern team in such an important game,” said the 2014 world champion. “And that is why it is difficult to understand at this moment, if I am honest,” emphasized Dino Toppmöller : “We now have to endure the malice and ridicule.”

In the 2022/2023 season, Bayern finally managed to master the second round of the cup again. But the end still came earlier than expected. This time it ended in the quarter-finals against SC Freiburg. In injury time of the party, a penalty goal from Lucas Höler shocked the favorites. Bayern lost 2-1 – and Thomas Tuchel, who had only taken over from the ousted Julian Nagelsmann a few days earlier, was immediately faced with the first critical voices.

But they were nothing compared to the accusations that the coach, who would soon be England’s national coach, had to put up with a few months later. Because under Tuchel, FC Bayern sensationally failed in the DFB Cup to third division club 1. FC Saarbrücken. And do you want? Exactly, in the second cup round.