Bayern Munich put up a strong performance to win 2-0 against Bayer Leverkusen in the semifinal of the DFB-Pokal. The Bavarians, who haven’t been in the final since 2020, have gone all in this year, in their attempt to win as many trophies as possible. Needless to say, they have not faltered anywhere in their pursuits. It is evident that this particular set of Bayern is extremely special and a top-class side. No one understands this better than the teams who play against them and their coaches.

One such manager is Kasper Hjulmand, the manager of Bayer Leverkusen. “They’re a top side,” he said, per the club’s official website.

“They put us under pressure from the start, and we didn’t find the right way to play against Bayern. That makes it very difficult because they keep coming forward,” he said, explaining the difficulties in playing against Bayern’s high-octane style of football. He also mentioned their skill in 1-v-1 — “a lot is decided in the one-v-one situations in particular, and they were better there.”

“We turned the ball over a few times – there were five or six situations where we didn’t handle the ball well,” he said, admitting to his side’s errors that contributed. “The pressure from Bayern was slightly lower in the second half and we were more in the game. (Goalkeeper) Mark Flekken kept us in it. The last 20 minutes were a bit better and closer, but we only had two really good attempts.”

“Of course we want to be play bravely, proactively, but there’s also another team – and today they were very, very strong,” he declared.

Certainly, this is also the same Hjulmand who said he would support Bayern in the UCL. Good going, my man.

If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor…