Bayern Munich fans endure worst year of 21st century | OneFootball

Bayern Munich have gone into the winter break with a comfortable lead at the top of the Bundesliga table, however, this happy end to 2024 does not even remotely paint the picture of how turbulent the year actually was for the Bavarians.

Losing out on the Bundesliga to an unbeaten Leverkusen team meant Bayern wouldn’t be crowned Deutscher Meister for the 12th consecutive time. A last-minute Real Madrid comeback dashed their hopes of reaching another UCL final at Wembley. A shock loss to 3rd division FC Saarbrücken led to an early exit from the DFB Pokal. As a result, Bayern finished 2024 trophyless, marking their first such occurrence since 2011.

With 13 losses, Bayern Munich endured their worst-ever year in terms of results in the 21st century. In fact, to find the last time they lost more games in a calendar year, one would have to go back to 1991, when Die Roten suffered 15 defeats. With only 30 wins in 49 matches, Bayern posted a 61.2% win rate in 2024.

Dreadful Away record in 2024

With 10 away defeats, Bayern have also recorded their worst year on the road in this century. The biggest away loss came against Barcelona in this season’s UCL League Phase tie which ended in a comprehensive 4–1 win for the Catalan side. Bayer Leverkusen also defeated Bayern in February. The 3–0 win ensured Xabi Alonso’s stronghold at the top of the table after which they easily ran away with the championship.

Bayern’s final away defeat of 2024 came against FSV Mainz on 14th December as the game ended 2–1. This would be Bayern’s first Bundesliga loss of the 24/25 season.

Form on the uptick under Vincent Kompany

Bayern suffered 9 out of 13 defeats in 2024 under Thomas Tuchel. With new head coach Vincent Kompany, Bayern has somewhat steadied the ship by delivering convincing performances with an identifiable attacking style of football. A significant improvement can be seen under the Belgian coach, and it is reflected not only in the performances but also in the results.

After a rocky start to the 2024/25 Champions League season, Bayern quickly bounced back, securing victories in their next three matches. In the Bundesliga, Die Roten have won 11 games so far, two more than second placed Leverkusen. With the new year on the horizon, Bayern will look to carry this momentum forward and reverse the fortunes that plagued them in 2024.