Bayern making it too easy for opponents says Flick | OneFootball

The current Bundesliga and European champions are without a clean sheet in three months and the manager says the onus is on the players to rectify it.

Bayern Munich boss Hansi Flick needs every member of his squad to put in the work to turn around their defensive fragilities as they look ahead to their clash with an in-form Freiburg side.

Winning the treble last season, Bayern had hopes of completing it again, yet their chances went out the window as they were bundled out of the DFB-Pokal by second division side Holstein Kiel. After the match ended in a 2-2 draw courtesy of a 95th-minute equalizer, Holstein Kiel prevailed 6-5 in the penalty shootout.

Bayern has conceded in nearly every match they have played, with their last clean sheet coming against Lokomotiv Moscow in the Champions League in December. Domestically, Bayern has not kept a clean sheet since their 5-0 demolition of Eintracht Frankfurt back on October 24.

Their defensive issues are highlighted when you look at the stats. Hansi Flick’s side has conceded the sixth most goals in the division (24). That is 12 more than second-place RB Leipzig, who could very well be top on the table when Bayern face Freiburg on Sunday.

The visitors are in good form, winning their last five consecutive matches, and are lethal in front of goal. They are second when it comes to big chance conversions (currently at 58.33%) and Hansi Flick’s side, who are known to give opposition teams chances, will not want to present them to the visitors as they will put them away.

Hansi Flick spoke to the media on Friday:

“It’s going to be an intense game, Freiburg is known for that type of football. They’re scoring a lot of goals,” Flick said during a media conference on Friday. “It’s going to be about us and how we play in defence. It’s down to us, the disappointment we had to digest pretty quickly, we have to make the best out of the situation now.

“The whole team is under pressure in defence, it’s not only the back four. We’re not getting enough pressure on to the ball, not as much as we used to.”

Flick added that his side’s form last season in which they won the treble, was not the norm for his side but were lucky to make it to the mid-season break in top spot.

“I did expect us to experience a bit of a slump a little earlier but my team showed incredible mentality and we made it to the top of the table before the winter break.

“The engine isn’t running smoothly, on Wednesday we experienced it in the most brutal fashion.

“We’re making it too easy for the opponents to make chances, we have to be in better positions, we have to defend together. It’s our job and it’s our expectation to get back on top.”