If Bayern Munich's 6-2 win at Bayer Leverkusen was "an advert for German football," as Thomas Muller put it, the second DF...
If Bayern Munich's 6-2 win at Bayer Leverkusen was "an advert for German football," as Thomas Muller put it, the second DFB Pokal semifinal between Schalke and Eintracht Frankfurt (0-1) was perhaps the opposite: an attritional game, low on skill, high on VAR controversy and off-the-pitch talking points.
Both matches couldn't have been more different. But in their totality, they were also neatly emblematic of the state of the play in Germany's top flight.
Bayer Leverkusen 2-6 Bayern Munich
There were times during Pep Guardiola's reign at the Allianz Arena when opposition coaches raised the white flag well before kick-off, sending out a weakened side to spare key players the futile effort and embarrassment.
Bundesliga teams haven't been quite as a defeatist since the Catalan's departure but few have seen fit to go toe-to-toe with Bayern to the extent that Heiko Herrlich's Leverkusen did on Tuesday night.
Despite the visitors' early 2-0 lead after nine minutes, the home side didn't stop committing as many men forward as possible at any given opportunity. Bayer's courageous -- and hugely exciting -- counter-attacking game made life uncomfortable for the Bayern defence and the evening a joy for neutrals. The German champions had Sven Ulreich to thank for going into the break with a 2-1 lead.
Unfortunately, Herrlich, one of the managers of the season in the Bundesliga, overreached at the restart. He changed his system to three at the back and slotted two wingers, Julian Brandt and Leon Bailey, into the wing-back positions. Bayern, whose game under Jupp Heynckes relies on attacks down the sidelines, soon exploited the space and carved Leverkusen open at will. The game was long decided before Bailey scored a fine three kick to make it 5-2 with 18 minutes to go and Muller completed his hat trick six minutes later.
No one knows what could have happened if Herrlich hadn't lost his nerve. Perhaps a Bayern side "utterly intent on making it to the final in Berlin," (Heynckes) was always going to prove unstoppable -- "unbeatable" even, as Herrlich insisted. This version of the red machine doesn't quite produce wins with the smooth, flawless regularity of the Guardiola years, but its vulnerability is counter-balanced by an extra dose of resilience and efficiency. There's a growing sense in the Bavarian capital that all the treble talk might well have some substance to it.
For third-placed Bayer, a huge top four clash with Borussia Dortmund (level on points in fourth) beckons. The fluid attacking football showcased by the Werkself should cause plenty of problems for Peter Stoger's stodgy side. It is they, not the much more expensively assembled Black and Yellows, who have served up the tastiest share from Bayern downwards.
A Champions League starring place would be just reward for one of the few teams unafraid to emphasise playing with the ball as opposed to against in the league. But how sustainable is their extensive game when Bayer will be forced to turn up a twice a week next season and attract even more unwanted attention for their star men, Brandt and Bailey?
For the sake of the league, one must hope that Leverkusen aren't just a temporary outlier, destined to shine brightly before reverting back to the transition-game slug fest that has infected much of the division like a drug-resistant super bug.
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