Daily Schmankerl: The aftermath of Bayern Munich vs. Heidenheim; Has Joshua Kimmich been planning on a move to Manchester City?; Brighton & Hove Albion’s Bart Verbruggen on Bayern’s radar?; FC Barcelona eyeing Bryan Zaragoza; and MORE!

No…that is not a misprint, Bayern Munich blew it against Heidenheim.

They blew a two-goal lead, a chance to build any moment ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League match, and really, a chance to prove that many of the players want to stay in Bavaria after this season.

This game was there for the taking, but Bayern Munich was not up to the task of actually winning it. Let’s get to the quick hitters:

• As always, let’s start with a look at Thomas Tuchel’s starting XI:

• We all knew Tuchel was going to go “Full Tuchel” at some point and change things to go back to what he wants to do rather than what has worked, so the shift back to Dayot Upamcenano and Kim Min-jae should not be all that surprising, Given all of the other absences due to injuries and illness, Tuchel pretty much went chalk with his other selections.
• Early in the match, there was very little doubt that Bayern Munich was the stronger side (which makes this result all the more frustrating).
• Big credit to Heidenheim by the way. They just never stopped fighting and have a tremendous mindset.
• I don’t think Alphonso Davies was bad necessarily, but he did lose possession 19 times, which is a danger zone for him. By comparison, Joshua Kimmich lost possession 14 times (and Kimmich did not exactly light the world on fire either). Overall, it was not a great game for the outside backs.
• Lost possession was a problem for Dayot Upamecano as well. At center-back, he lost possession 14 times, which is both alarming and dangerous. Kim Min-jae was the stalwart of the backline with only 10 times where he lost possession.
• Whether you believe in the stat or not, that is just too many for the backline as a whole in a game against Heidenheim.
• Serge Gnabry’s assist to Harry Kane was pretty awesome and it was a deft finish from Kane. Gnabry must know a trip to London is upcoming. I’m expecting Gnabry to play wing on Tuesday with Jamal Musiala shifting to the No. 10 position and Thomas Müller heading to the bench.
• Similarly, Davies sent in a beautiful cross to Gnabry, who easily headed home a goal for a 2-0 lead.
• How did it all go wrong after that goal? Well, Heidenheim got into the locker room and regrouped in a massive way.
• It is really hard to say what Upamecano was doing on Kevin Sessa’s goal in the 50th minute. It was another huge mistake for the Frenchman.
• And…whatever Upamecano could do, Min-jae wanted to do better (worse?). Just a minute later Jan-Niklas Beste lofted a long diagonal ball to Tim Kleindienst, who dusted Min-jae and deposited the ball into the back of the net.
• Just like that, Bayern Munich’s backline was in shambles and the game was tied at 2-2.
• Bayern Munich just never recovered from that.
• Mathys Tel should have given Bayern Munich the lead in the 68th minute after a great feed from Leon Goretzka, but Heidenheim goalkeeper Kevin Müller made a big stop on a hard shot. Müller did well to cut down Tel’s angle, but the youngster should have done better with the chance.
• It was a quiet game for Musiala. He had some brilliant moments, but was not as impactful as he has been of late. This would be a bad time to for Musiala’s form to fall into a valley.
• You could feel Heidenheim’s crowd through the broadcast…they were AMPED for this moment…and they got it.
• In the 78th minute, Kleindienst did it again by taking advantage of some awful play and positioning from Upamecano and Min-jae. It was another case where it was difficult to figure out what Min-jae was doing on the play. Omar Traoré played a major role in getting the play started.
• Overall, it was a disaster for Bayern Munich. To lose a 2-0 lead was a mess to say the least. I suppose I am mostly mad at myself for ignoring all the signs that this Bayern Munich squad had started the process of checking out for the season. This game screamed “trap” and I knew it…I just did not react to what was in front of me last weekend. It’s really simple math: A lame duck coach + no shot at winning the Bundesliga = questionable motivation for the rest of the league season. Sure, Bayern Munich could ramp it up for the Champions League against Arsenal FC next week, but this was bad. If you mess with the soccer gods like this, there is typically an even bigger payback…and it could come in form of another loss on Tuesday.

If you missed our Initial Analysis, Match Awards, Observations, or Postgame Podcast, give them a look and/or a listen:

Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola is a massive fan of Bayern Munich star Joshua Kimmich and it appears as if the German might already have been thinking of a reunion with his ex-coach for quite some time:

It could be a busy summer for Manchester City as they make moves to improve their squad. The summer transfer window is only a few months away from opening, and it shapes to be a busy one at the world champions. Joshua Kimmich is one player again linked with a summer move to the world champions. But does the Bayern Munich stalwart have his heart set on a move to the Etihad? A recent report indicates that the midfielder may be keen to move to Manchester City this summer.

Respected journalist Dean Jones has told givemesport.com that Kimmich may have had a move to Manchester City on his mind for some time now. Furthermore, Jones also believes that if Kimmich has a choice between Liverpool and Manchester City, he would choose the signing for the world champions. Jones said: “If it was to come down to a straight pick for Kimmich between Liverpool and Manchester City, he would be expected to go to the Etihad Stadium, in my opinion. With Liverpool, you don’t really know how he would fit in yet because they are about to change manager. It is not totally clear which position he would be expected to play.”

Joshua Kimmich could immediately slot into a role at Manchester City

Following yesterday’s nil-all draw with Arsenal, it does seem apparent that Manchester City needs someone to support Rodri. The Spanish international carries a heavy workload for Pep Guardiola’s side. Quality support for Rodri like Kimmich could potentially provide could allow City’s midfield general to get more rest during the season.

The midfield pairing of Kimmich and Rodri could also be a game changer for Manchester City. Kimmich and Rodri’s games do appear suited to playing together. Both players are capable of drifting forward from deep in midfield. The duo also possesses the ability to pick out a defence splitting pass. This attribute, coupled with Rodri’s eye for goal, may also help City unlock packed defences like the one they encountered yesterday.

The treble winners are in the market for a defensive midfielder this summer. Given the latest comments from Dean Jones, the ideal man for the job may already have his heart set on a move to the Etihad.

Letting Kimmich go would truly represent a changing of the guard for Bayern Munich. Undoubtedly, Guardiola already has a plan for how he would use Kimmich — which will probably unlock greatness.

All that said, it will be hard to believe Kimmich really wants to leave Bayern Munich until we see an official announcement.

With the future of the goalkeeper position somewhat in question at Bayern Munich, the club is looking at some options on the market — including Brighton & Hove Albion’s Bart Verbruggen:

Brighton and Hove Albion goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen could find himself as a surprise candidate for Bayern Munich as they look to replace Manuel Neuer long-term. That’s according to SportBILD, who report that the Brighton goalkeeper has ‘already been observed’ ahead of a potential move.

The newspaper reports that Verbruggen is one of several candidates being considered by the German champions as they plan for life without Neuer in future. According to them he has already been watched in Netherlands recent clash with Germany and his market value, which is believed to be €15m, could make him the cheap option.

The major doubt is whether he is actually good enough at this point, with it explained that the 21-year-old needs to ‘consistently prove his class’ before Bayern would make a move for him. The need to plan for life without Neuer has become obvious over the last week, with a post on Instagram from the 38-year-old hinting he is considering his life away from football.

His current contract runs out in 2025 and all indications are that he will leave at that point, hence Bayern now moving to line up replacements. The logical candidate is Alexander Nübel, who has spent the season on loan at VfB Stuttgart and he is trusted to replace Neuer, but the club would prefer for him to continue maturing away before becoming number one.

Thus, other options are being explored and Verbruggen is seen as the cheap one, if he can really establish himself at Brighton and dispel any remaining doubts. However, that €15m claim looks optimistic from Bayern’s perspective.

After getting upset by Borussia Dortmund last week, Bayern Munich is a club grasping at straws for this season and the future.

There is still great talent on the roster, but how it functions for the rest of this season and if it will even be around next season remain to be seen. With so many storylines going on, there was plenty to talk about, so let’s get to it.

Here is what we have on tap for this episode of the Weekend Warm-up Show:

• Is it impossible for Bayern Munich to take down Arsenal FC in the Champions League at this point?
• Are Bayern Munich players missing the necessary hunger and edge required to win at the highest levels?
• The field is narrowing for Bayern Munich’s coaching search and there still is no clear leader in the clubhouse. As the days go by, could Hansi Flick end up being the choice, who makes the most sense?
• Why Flick could really be the right guy to take the helm.
• Breaking down the second to last episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Bayern Munich loanee Gabriel Vidović has six goals and three assists in 30 games across all competitions this season while on loan at Dinamo Zagreb.

While his future with Bayern Munich is uncertain at the moment, the 20-year-old was recently asked about his time training with the first team in Bavaria:

• Who was your toughest opponent in training at FC Bayern?

Vidović: “Upa. He is very aggressive, but always defends cleanly.” Vidović told Spox journalist Nino Duit.

Vidović on Kimmich: “He gives 120% in every training session and always wants to win. He is a person I look up to.”

• Who spread the most good atmosphere in the dressing room?

Vidović: “Thomas (Müller) and Leroy (Sané), they are both very funny.” Vidović told Spox journalist Nino Duit.

FC Barcelona is keeping a close eye on Bayern Munich winger Bryan Zaragoza.

Unable to get into the rotation on a consistent basis, Zaragoza has been rumored to be a candidate for a loan or even a sale this summer:

La Liga giants Barcelona have been put on alert, amid news that Bayern Munich are ready to part with Bryan Zaragoza this summer. As much comes amid the Spaniard’s ongoing struggles to adapt in Munich. Wide-man Zaragoza, for his part, secured a move to the Allianz Arena during the January transfer window, when the Bayern brass agreed to fork over an increased sum, to move his planned arrival forward by six months.

Safe to say, however, that the transfer has since not worked out as planned, for either party. To date, the 22-year-old has been afforded just two Bundesliga appearances, for a grand total of 43 minutes. And, as alluded to above, such woes could well prove to be of benefit to one of the heavyweights of Spanish football.

As per a report from Diario Sport, citing Sky Germany, the Bayern brass have already come to the conclusion that Zaragoza is not yet ready to contribute for the club on a weekly basis. He will, as a result, be sent out on loan this summer, with La Liga viewed as the preferred landing spot on the part of club and player alike.

And Barcelona, ‘who tried to tie him down for the month of June, are very attentive and could take a step if the loan conditions are favorable’. The Blaugrana are on the lookout for reinforcements out wide with a view to the summer, with Zaragoza an attractive cut-price option. It now remains to be seen whether the interest is mutual.

Bayern Munich suffered a deflating and embarrassing defeat at the hands of Borussia Dortmund over the weekend, which left fans angry, puzzled, and…maybe even sad.

So, yeah, it was not great.

But maybe — just maybe — not all hope is lost heading into the stretch run of the season. Let’s take a look at some of the burning topics on this week’s edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works Show:

• Why the loss to Borussia Dortmund was so tough to watch and how it could be the impetus for true change.
• Mentally, Bayern Munich might just be shot. Is there any hope against Arsenal FC in the Champions League?
• How are we feeling about another long-term commitment to Leroy Sané?
• Will any coach worth his salt take the Bayern Munich job, knowing how badly they already want Xabi Alonso — who will be available in 2025? Also, what Alonso’s decision to stay at Bayer Leverkusen might be telling us about a potential future with Real Madrid.

Dinamo Zagreb would really love to bring Real Madrid’s Luka Modrić back to his homeland: