Maraaz 
The opening game of the Bundesliga is actually supposed to arouse anticipation for the new season. But Bayern’s 8-0 against Schalke has the opposite effect. Did that really have to be? The TV ratings speak volumes. It was a disaster with an announcement. Whoever had the idea of starting the new Bundesliga season with the game Bayern Munich against Schalke 04 of all things is someone who doesn’t mean well with the Royal Blues or simply ignores the balance of power in German football.
Of course: An 8-0 for the triple winner was not necessarily to be assumed – but it was definitely more likely than a game that should ideally characterize a so-called opening game. There was no such thing as an exciting exchange of blows that would water the fan’s mouth and wake up anticipation for the new season. Because it was clear that Schalke, the second worst team in the second half of the season, could not contribute much – at least not against this FC Bayern, who are not only playing in the Bundesliga but are currently out of competition throughout Europe.
This should not excuse the disastrous appearance of Schalke. It was borderline to let Bastian Oczipka play as left-back and Sebastian Rudy as right-back against human missiles like Serge Gnabry and Leroy Sané. Yes, it was risky to have Benjamin Stambouli with his known deficits in tackling as a central defender.
Yes, the approach chosen by Schalke’s coach David Wagner to want to play in Munich was naive. And yes, Wagner should have made it clear to his team at halftime at the latest that it can now only be about damage limitation.
But a look at the more than thinly staffed Schalke Bank makes it clear: He did not have many other options. And even if Wagner had done everything right that evening – it wouldn’t have changed much. Ideally, Bayern would have stayed 5-0. How exciting would that have been?
No, this opening game did not spark any anticipation for the season. Rather, it showed how far the gap between Bayern and a large part of the league has widened. This is nothing new. The strategic mistakes that various Schalke club management have made in recent years have also been discussed many times. These topics have been discussed for years. They will keep fans busy for the months to come as well.
But was it really necessary to start on the first day of the game? The numbers speak against it: The opening game had significantly fewer TV viewers than the season opener last year. 6.68 million people watched the one-sided kick. That still meant the day’s victory for ZDF, but there were also more than a million viewers fewer than in the previous year. At that time, Hertha BSC won a surprising 2-2 at Bayern. That was exciting.
