It would be tempting, in the aftermath of Bayern Munich’s chastening 2-1 defeat by third-division Saarbrucken in the German Cup, to wonder how seriously Bayern take what they, perhaps, regard as minor silverware.
Big trophies come regularly to Bavaria – the club are pursuing a 12th league title on the trot – and the pattern since they scooped up six pieces of silverware in a historic 2020 suggests that when it comes to the local knockouts they unconsciously ease off.
Certainly Saarbrucken seemed to have the greater reserves of concentration and purpose at the end of both halves of Wednesday’s shock upset.
Having fallen behind to an early Thomas Muller goal, the underdogs bit back just before the interval. Their goalkeeper Tim Schreiber made outstanding saves.