Thomas Muller has blasted his Bayern Munich team-mates for their lack of appreciation to their travelling support after a shock 2-1 German Cup defeat at a third-tier Saarbrucken.
German giants Bayern were humbled with a last-gasp winner on Wednesday night.
Marcel Gaus netted the winner for the hosts deep into second-half stoppage time to complete a sensational comeback and trigger wild celebrations from the home crowd as the Bayern players looked on in complete shock.
Bayern, who last lifted the trophy in 2020, had taken a first-half lead through Muller before the hosts levelled in first-half added time via Patrick Sontheimer.
At the full-time whistle, Muller was just one of a handful of players who went over to the angry Bayern supporters to speak with them – which also included Joshua Kimmich and Mathys Tel.
Thomas Muller has hit out at his Bayern Munich team-mates for not acknowledging their fans
He was just one of four players that spoke with fans after Wednesday’s shock German Cup exit
Marcel Gaus (bottom) was the hero for Saarbrucken after scoring a last-gasp winner vs Bayern
Gaus fired home in second-half stoppage time as Saarbrucken won 2-1 in the second round
And coming away from that interaction, the 34-year-old was damning of his team-mates for not all recognising their support.
‘Absolutely understandable from the fans. It’s not necessarily about the game or the result.
‘What is not possible at all is that only three or four players understand how to respect the support.
‘They came here I don’t know how many 100 kilometers during the week.
‘The most important thing is to understand how to give something back. Of course it doesn’t work that way.’
Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel made several changes to the team that crushed Darmstadt 98 8-0 on Saturday, leaving top scorer Harry Kane on the bench along with Kingsley Coman and Jamal Musiala while giving 20-year-old Frans Kratzig his first start.
The game had been in doubt due to heavy rain but it was the hosts who troubled Bayern more early in the match before the visitors opened their account with their first chance when Kratzig set up Muller in the 15th minute.
Bayern also had to take defender Matthias de Ligt off midway through the first half with the Dutch international suffering a knee injury.
Muller had given Bayern the lead with this strike in the 15th minute of the German Cup
Patrick Sontheimer (left) tapped in from close range after a mistake by Kim Min-jae to equalise
It got worse before the break for Bayern as defender Kim Min-jae’s pass was intercepted and Sontheimer tapped in from close range.
The Bavarians struggled to convert chances and paid the price when the hosts launched a quick break and a cutback from the right sailed across the entire box past three Bayern players before Gaus thundered in the winner with a low left-foot drive in the sixth minute of added time.
‘This is a brutal blow for us,’ Muller reflected, with his team next facing title rivals Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga on Saturday.
‘To be eliminated for the third time in the second round of the Cup is not what we strive for. We have to congratulate Saarbrucken for their fight. A bit of luck is also part of it.
‘Then we are hit on the break in the 96th minute but we had wasted too many chances before that.’
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