Bayern have made no secret that they would love to take him – Uli Hoeness, Christoph Freund and other directors have intermittently sent verbal shots of praise and desire, much as Leverkusen rotated the fouls on Musiala, who Bayern wish they could pair him with.
That Bayern chose to play like this – and Thomas Müller did talk after about specifically frustrating Leverkusen having been a plan his team had worked on for weeks – was the ultimate compliment, if also a reality of the leaders having had a taxing midweek Champions League tie at Celtic, while Die Werkself had enjoyed a rare week off to prepare.
The entry point was different, with Leverkusen coming into the game last February leading Bayern by five points rather than trailing by eight.
Yet lucrative contract extensions for Alphonso Davies, Musiala (who extended to 2030), Kimmich and Neuer all at once have priced Bayern out, as well as Wirtz’s own soaring value.
They also left the arena with the feeling that for all their accomplishment, there is every chance the Bundesliga title is going back south to its perpetual home at Bayern Munich.
