Dante’s Bayern II Faces Historic Slump After Defeats
The Dante era at FC Bayern II has begun with a jolt – and not the kind anyone at Säbener Straße had in mind.
A week after a shock 1-0 home defeat to promoted SC Eltersdorf in the Regionalliga Bayern opener, Bayern’s reserves came away empty-handed again on Friday night, losing 2-0 at Wacker Burghausen. Two games, zero points, no goals scored. For a club that prides itself on standards, even at reserve level, this is uncharted territory.
It is not just the table that stings. It is the pattern.
Dante has now lost all of his first six matches in charge. All four pre-season friendlies ended in defeat. Add the two competitive fixtures and the goal difference reads a brutal 2-16. For a man who once marshalled Bayern’s back line to a historic treble, the numbers cut deep.
A First That Nobody Wanted
Since the Regionalliga Bayern was introduced in 2012/13, Bayern II had never opened a campaign with back-to-back defeats. In the years they weren’t there, they were up in the 3. Liga. The fourth tier has effectively been their baseline.
Now, after two matchdays, they sit bottom. Yes, it is early. The season is long. But for a club that sees the Regionalliga as a minimum and dreams of returning the reserves to the 3. Liga, the symbolism of this false start is hard to ignore.
This is not the platform they imagined for a new coach and a new generation.
Outplayed Early, Punished Twice
At Burghausen, the damage came quickly and decisively.
Wacker, who finished eighth last season, seized control from the opening whistle. Bayern’s young side looked overwhelmed in the first half, second to duels, too loose without the ball. The hosts sensed weakness and pushed hard.
The pressure told in the 22nd minute. Felix Bachschmid struck to give Burghausen a deserved lead, and it could easily have come earlier. Bayern II never really settled, and the same man punished them again. In the 38th minute, Bachschmid made it 2-0. That was effectively the contest.
The scoreline did not flatter the home side. If anything, it spared Bayern further embarrassment before the break.
Youth, Guidance – and a Flat Response
Bayern II’s starting XI had an average age of just 20. This is a development team by design, tasked with preparing talent for the Allianz Arena, not just surviving in the Regionalliga. To balance that inexperience, the club brought in seasoned pros like Benno Schmitz, 31, formerly of 1. FC Köln and RB Leipzig, and 28-year-old Anton Heinz, who has turned out for the likes of Alemannia Aachen.
After half-time, that blend looked a little more coherent. Dante and his staff tweaked the setup, and the team stabilised. Defensively, Bayern II tightened up, closing spaces that had been gaping in the first half. They also began to pose some questions going forward, carving out a handful of opportunities.
But the game never truly caught fire again. Burghausen managed the lead, Bayern probed without conviction, and the two-goal gap remained.
“After the break we adjusted a few things and then it was significantly better. Unfortunately, we didn't reward ourselves with a goal,” Dante said afterwards. “Even so, we have to keep our heads up – it's important to me that we learn from this match.”
The words are calm. The situation less so.
Euphoria Meets Reality
When Dante returned to Munich after ending his playing career at OGC Nice, the mood was very different. The Brazilian, a fan favourite during his spell from 2012 to 2015 and a key figure in the 2013 treble, came back to his old home full of energy and optimism.
“I want us to play with joy. Young players in particular should enjoy putting their foot down so that they can also be happy after the match. But that only works with a lot of hard work and discipline,” he said shortly before the season began.
The joy has not arrived yet. The hard work and discipline now feel less like slogans and more like urgent requirements.
Inside the club, nobody is sounding the relegation alarm in public. It is too soon for that. But once the friendlies are folded into the picture, the trend is impossible to ignore. One or two furrowed brows will already be visible among those responsible for Bayern’s academy pathway.
Relegation to the Oberliga would be more than a sporting setback. It would be a structural problem. Bayern want their youngsters tested at the highest possible level. The 3. Liga is the long-term target, the Regionalliga the bare minimum. Drop below that, and the bridge from campus to first team starts to look dangerously fragile.
Schweinfurt on the Horizon
Dante is not panicking, at least not outwardly. But the honeymoon is over. Six games, six defeats: that is not a phase, it is a crisis of form.
The task now is clear. He has to reconnect with the euphoria of his return and transmit it to a dressing room that has known only setbacks under his watch. He has to turn “learning from this match” into points on the board.
Next up is 1. FC Schweinfurt, freshly relegated from the 3. Liga, on Saturday. On paper, it is another stern test. In reality, it is something else entirely for Bayern II.
It is a chance to stop the slide, to change the narrative, and to show that this nightmare start is a stumble, not the shape of the season to come.
