Bayern Munich forward Jamal Musiala in pain after he was brought down by PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi … More
Bayern Munich has exited the FIFA Club World Cup after a 2-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the quarterfinals. Déisré Doué (79’) and Ousmane Dembélé (90+5’) were the scorers for the Parisians. But Bayern didn’t just lose the game, but also superstar Jamal Musiala.
The Bayern Munich playmaker exited the game after a horrendous foul by PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma at the edge of the box. Referee Anthony Taylor, perhaps shocked by the severity of the injury, didn’t opt to review the incident and instead sent both teams to the dressing room.
“Unfortunately, it doesn’t look good,” Bayern Munich sporting director Christoph Freund said when asked by DAZN about the Musiala injury. Everyone seeing the replay of the incident could have gathered that much. The ankle looked weirdly bent out of shape as the 22-year-old went to the ground.
“It was a bad injury,” PSG defender Nuno Mendes said in the mixed zone after the game. “We feel very sorry for him. He’s one of the best players, and we hope he comes back stronger.” Indeed, PSG released a statement on social media wishing Musiala a speedy recovery.
It remains a mystery why Taylor wouldn’t look at the tackle again. Donnarumma went through Musiala to get to the ball. The English referee would send off PSG players Willian Pacho (81’) after a horrendous foul on Leon Goretzka and then Lucas Hernandez (90’) after he elbowed Raphaël Guerreiro in the face.
Then, after Dembélé scored the second goal of the match, Taylor did opt to head to the monitor. Thomas Müller, who has now played his last game for Bayern, went down in the box. But a replay highlighted that it wasn’t a foul. It was the right decision by the referee team.
Thomas Müller waves goodbye to the Bayern Munich fans. The playmaker has now officially played his … More
Still, Taylor will have to answer the uncomfortable question of why he didn’t review the foul on Musiala. It is a tackle that very well might cost Musiala the season and put further pressure on Bayern signing another forward this summer.
Indeed, it will be interesting to see how Bayern will respond to the injury to their best player. Bayern has agreed personal terms with forward Nick Woltemade, but has yet to open talks with VfB Stuttgart. Expect those talks to be expedited now, as Bayern will be in a hurry to finalize a deal.
In the short term, that won’t help Bayern, as they now exit the FIFA Club World Cup. The Rekordmeister has already earned $58.14 million from the tournament. Reaching the semifinals would have meant another $21 million.
It is essential to note that FIFA Club World Cup funds are not immediately available for spending on the transfer market. Still, it is significant money to miss out on, as Bayern’s director of sport, Max Eberl, is attempting to reshape the roster.
In fact, the PSG game highlighted that Bayern is still among the very elite in Europe. However, without Musiala, it will be challenging to sustain the level required to compete with the likes of PSG for an entire season.
What are the takeaways from the tournament, then? Bayern has a good squad when everyone is fit. But the Rekordmeister doesn’t quite have the same depth as a PSG or Real Madrid. Even domestically, Bayer Leverkusen and Dortmund threaten to close the gap. Therefore, the Club World Cup might be over, but the transfer season has now truly begun for Eberl and Freund.
