Dante's Bayern II Faces Historic Start with Two Losses

The romance of Dante’s return to Munich has met a brutal early reality.

A week after a shock 1-0 home defeat to promoted SC Eltersdorf in their Regionalliga opener, Bayern II were beaten again on Friday night, this time 2-0 away at Wacker Burghausen. Two games, two losses, no goals scored, and a worrying pattern that stretches beyond competitive fixtures.

Including pre-season, Dante has now lost all six matches in charge of Bayern’s reserve side. The aggregate score across those four friendlies and two league games: 2-16. For a club that measures itself in titles and talent production, that number lands like a siren.

A First That Bayern Never Wanted

Since the Regionalliga Bayern was introduced in 2012/13, Bayern II had never opened a campaign with back-to-back defeats. Across years spent largely in this division, with only two seasons up in the 3. Liga, the second team had always found a way to start with at least a point on the board.

Not this time. Zero points, bottom of the table. The position in early August is not yet a sentence on their season, but it is a stark symbol: this is a historic false start.

Overrun in Burghausen

At Wacker Burghausen, who finished eighth last season, Bayern II were second best for most of the first half. The hosts pressed aggressively, played on the front foot, and quickly exposed a young side still searching for structure.

The pressure told in the 22nd minute. Felix Bachschmid struck to make it 1-0, a lead that had been coming. Bayern’s back line, already stretched, never really settled. Burghausen sensed vulnerability and kept going.

Sixteen minutes later, Bachschmid punished them again. His second goal in the 38th minute doubled the lead and, as it turned out, settled the match. From there, Wacker managed the game, Bayern chased shadows, and the scoreboard never moved again.

Youthful Promise, Harsh Lessons

Bayern II’s starting XI in Burghausen had an average age of just 20. It is a squad built for development, not comfort. To guide them, the club brought in experience: Benno Schmitz, 31, with Bundesliga pedigree from 1. FC Köln and RB Leipzig, and 28-year-old Anton Heinz, who has featured for the likes of Alemannia Aachen.

After the break, that blend of youth and experience finally began to show some cohesion. Bayern tightened up defensively, looked more compact, and started to piece together attacks. The game calmed. The panic subsided.

They created a few openings, hinted at a response, but never landed the punch that might have dragged them back into the contest.

“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 after the final whistle. “Even so, we have to keep our heads up – it's important to me that we learn from this match.”

Pressure Behind the Scenes

No one at Säbener Straße will be sounding relegation alarms in early August. Still, when you fold the friendlies into the picture, the mood around the second team has shifted from curiosity to concern.

For Bayern, the status of their reserve side is not a side issue. Dropping down to the Oberliga would be a serious problem for the record champions’ development pathway. The club ideally wants Bayern II in the 3. Liga, offering their best prospects meaningful minutes at a high level. The Regionalliga is already the minimum acceptable stage. Anything below that would undercut the entire model.

So while the table may not matter yet, the trajectory does.

Dante’s Euphoria Meets Reality

Dante did not come back to Munich to firefight from day one. The former centre-back, a treble winner with Bayern in 2013 and a popular figure from his playing days between 2012 and 2015, returned from OGC Nice at the end of last season to begin his coaching career at a place he calls home.

He arrived with enthusiasm and a clear idea of what he wanted his team to look like.

“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 started.

So far, the joy has been hard to find. The work and discipline, though, will now define whether this project stabilises or unravels.

Dante is not panicking, at least not publicly. But opening your coaching career with six straight defeats tests even the most optimistic outlook. The glow of his homecoming has given way to the cold light of a results business.

A First Turning Point Already

Next up is 1. FC Schweinfurt, recently relegated from the 3. Liga, on Saturday. On paper, it is just matchday three. In reality, it already feels like an early test of character and direction.

A win would not erase the 2-16 goal difference or the unwanted records. It would do something more important for a young squad and a rookie coach: it would prove that this slide is not a new normal.

For a club that demands progress from every level, Bayern II cannot afford to linger at the bottom. The question now is simple: how quickly can Dante turn the euphoria he brought back to Munich into the resilience his team so clearly needs?