Hertha BSC Berlin vs Bayern Munich - Salihamidzic wants response from Bayern

Posted Saturday, September 30, 2017 by PA

Bayern Munich's under-performing players have been ordered to bounce back immediately from the Champions League humbling by Paris St Germain which led to the departure of coach Carlo Ancelotti.

The Italian paid the price for a 3-0 defeat in France, meaning interim coach Willy Sagnol will take the Bundesliga champions to Hertha Berlin on Sunday.

The midweek defeat followed a 2-2 home draw with Wolfsburg, in which Bayern let a two-goal lead slip, and sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic has demanded an improvement.

"I expect a reaction from the players on Sunday. There are no excuses any more. The important thing now is the game in Berlin. Nothing less than a win will do and we need to give everything to get it," Salihamidzic said on the club's official website.

Bayern's domestic results have been far from terrible, with four wins and a draw from their opening six games, but Salihamidzic said performances have not met expectations.

"We've felt that the team hasn't developed in the way we want them to at FC Bayern," he said.

"We've watched on with concern because we've not played well. We hoped it would be better."

The Bosnian, appointed to the role in the summer, described the defeat in Paris as "the straw that broke the camel's back".

He added: "We were forced to act because we could see it wasn't getting any better.

"We all regret it a lot. We need to first let the dust settle and take stock."

Ancelotti's assistant Sagnol has been handed the reins on a caretaker basis as Bayern search for a suitable replacement, with reports in Germany linking former Borussia Dortmund boss Thomas Tuchel, who is currently without a club, most strongly with the role.

After the trip to Berlin, Bayern have a two-week international break in which to make headway finding Ancelotti's successor.

"We're examining all possibilities. When we come to a decision, we'll appoint the new coach," Salihamidzic said.

"We need a coach who'll tackle all the issues we have, who'll find the right solutions for FC Bayern. That's not an easy task because we're in the middle of the season, but we'll certainly find a good solution.

"You don't need to worry about FC Bayern. We'll come out of this situation stronger."

While attention will be focused on how Bayern react to a testing week, Hertha also have issues to address.

They too lost on their travels in midweek, going down 1-0 to Swedish side Ostersund in the Europa League, and have won just once in their last seven games in all competitions.