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Hoffenheim ending a major run of invincibility underlined how the perception of Bayern has changed under Niko Kovac
This Sunday was the Bayern Munich squad’s traditional drop-in to Oktoberfest. It’s an iconic scene with the players and their families, who dress up in traditional Bavarian outfits of lederhosen and toast the moment. The atmosphere is often heady. On one occasion, the story goes, Pep Guardiola spontaneously decided that he and his charges should commandeer a private jet to fly off and watch Juventus take on Roma in a Serie A top-of-the-table clash in Turin.
This time, the mood was slightly different. Manuel Neuer “could be happy”, wrote Süddeutsche Zeitung’s Lisa Sonnabend. “He can have a drink on Sunday at the Oktoberfest, because in Wednesday’s friendly against Argentina Marc-André ter Stegen will be in the Germany goal.” The question of who should be between the sticks for the national team might still be a prickly one but normally we might have privately suggested that Neuer could get a start on the festivities on the Saturday, given Hoffenheim were the visitors to Allianz Arena. Continue reading...