Daily Schmankerl: The aftermath of Bayern Munich vs. Benfica; Bayern keeping tabs on Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyökeres; Nico Williams to spurn FC Barcelona?; Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr. to get Saudi mega offer?; and MORE!

Bayern Munich took down Benfica 1-0 in the Champions League in a match that was equally dominant, frustrating, and relieving all at once.

Fans could be happy about the win, but might also be a little concerned at the lack of efficiency with the attack. Regardless, Bayern Munich will gladly take hat win to the bank, especially during a UCL season that has been…complex. Here are some quick hitters on the match:

• As always, let‘s start with a look at Vincent Kompany’s starting XI:

• Just about everything was as expected, except…Michael Olise for Leroy Sané. It looked like Vincent Kompany was going to go with Sané, but the coach opted for Olise instead. It was not a bad effort from Olise, but he is not looking as dangerous as he was earlier in the season.
• If Benfica’s goal was to make Bayern Munich work for everything and get frustrated in the first half, well, mission accomplished. In the first half, Bayern Munich half 76% possession and took 10 shots (compared to Benfica’s one), but not one of the opportunities required a save from Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin.
• The formula of absorbing pressure from Bayern Munich and forcing them into low percentage chances was — once again — working.
• Bayern Munich did not show a lot of urgency early on and — at times — seemed content to just patiently wait for Benfica to break down. Eventually, it happened, but more creativity is going to be needed on a consistent basis for the long run of the season.
• It was not the most active game for Harry Kane. The Englishman did have the assist on Jamal Musiala’s goal in the 67th minute, but looked a bit weary.
• Sané made his case for more playing time — and a starting role. While Olise and Serge Gnabry were just…okay, Sané and Coman made the most of their chances. Sané was truly impactful and reminded Bayern Munich fans why so many think he is a special player.
• It is hard to criticize much from the midfield or the backline. In particular, the defense handled everything that came its way, but it was another growth moment for the midfield duo of Joshua Kimmich and Joao Palhinha. The central midfielder tandem moved around a bit during the match and do appear to be — at least — starting to feel more comfortable in operating together.
• Overall, Bayern Munich was good, but not overwhelmingly good. That said, you take this win and run against a Benfica side that was dedicated to its strategy. While Benfica did not really try to engage with the Bavarians all the much, you do not want to take much luster off of the win. We want Bayern Munich to win this kind of game…and they did. That was good enough in this case.

If you missed our Initial Analysis, Match Awards, Observations, and/or Postgame Podcast, give them a look or a list:

FC Barcelona has been rumored to be very interested in Athletic Club attacker Nico Williams, but he could re-up wit his current club:

Athletic Club are keen to get a new deal for winger Nico Williams amid Barcelona interest, reports Sport. With Williams’ contract expiring in 2027, the Catalan giants are attentive to the opportunity. However, the report says the Basque club are looking to agree to a new contract with Williams to raise his €55m release clause to fend off interest.

Are Bayern Munich emerging as the clear favorites for the 2024/25 Bundesliga title? In this week’s Bundesliga Rundown, Marcus delves into this question and explains why Bayern fans should look beyond the recent 4-1 loss to FC Barcelona and embrace the journey under new head coach Vincent Kompany.

This episode also covers:

• Why Tim Kleindienst is quickly establishing himself as one of Germany’s top strikers.
• Why Marcus is setting aside Gerardo Seoane’s past to focus on a promising future for Borussia Mönchengladbach.
• A special Bundesliga Spotlight segment on the biggest DFB-Pokal upsets in history!

Contingency plans are key and it appears that Bayern Munich is looking at Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyökeres as a potential option for Harry Kane’s eventual exit (whenever that might be):

Viktor Gyökeres (26) is another striker Bayern have on their radar despite the potential competition from the likes of Manchester United.

Gyökeres is certainly having himself a season with 23 goals and four assists in 17 games across all competitions this season. That production has him on the shortlist of quite a few clubs, which will probably make it difficult for the Bavarians to secure him.

One of those clubs is Manchester United, who was undoubtedly impressed with the hat-trick Gyökeres had on Tuesday against Manchester City (ESPN):

Manchester Evening News reports that Viktor Gyökeres is a possible Manchester United player of the future given his clear links to the fallen Premier League giants. The Sporting CP striker has excelled under the tutelage of soon-to-be United boss Rúben Amorim and bolstered his burgeoning reputation with a marvellous hat trick against Manchester City in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Gyökeres, who played for Brighton & Hove Albion and Coventry City before joining Amorim in Portugal, will be well known to United sporting director Dan Ashworth as the two crossed paths when the executive was technical director at the Seagulls. Sky Sports pundit Clinton Morrison added more fuel to the fire later on Tuesday saying: “Man United will be looking to get the cheque book out for him.”

It seems very unlikely that Gyökeres would take a back seat to Kane, so if Bayern Munich does pursue him, it could mean that Kane is planning an exit from the club in one of the upcoming summer transfer windows.

Real Madrid star could be the recipient of a mega-offer from Saudi Arabia:

Interest from the Saudi Pro League remains in Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior, reports Relevo. The Brazil international was subject to significant attention from Saudi Arabia in the summer, where an offer worth €1 billion over five years was reported to have been submitted.

Vinícius is under contract at Real Madrid until 2027 and even though they are keen to extend his deal, the 24-year-old has not yet sat down to reach an agreement over new terms. It is reported that even if a deal to Saudi Arabia could not be agreed to in the summer, the SPL are set to return in 2025.

Bayern Munich is red hot, but has a challenge this week as it prepares to face off with Benfica in the Champions League.

While that topic along could carry a whole show, Bayern Munich also found out that it will play Bayer Leverkusen in the DFB-Pokal’s Round of 16 — which ensures one of Germany’s top teams will be going home early.

Needless to say, we have a lot to talk about, so let’s get to it. Here is what we have on tap for the Bavarian Podcast Works — Postgame Show:

• A quick synopsis of where things stand for both Bayern Munich and Benfica.
• A look at Bayern Munich’s potential starting XI.
• A prediction on the Champions League.
• Why Bayern Munich could be in trouble against Bayer Leverkusen in the DFB-Pokal — and why Xabi Alonso might be ready to unveil something special to stop Bayern.
• Where things stand on the contract situations for Jamal Musiala, Joshua Kimmich, Leroy Sane, and Alphonso Davies…and what if all four are re-upped? Will the team be better or worse for it? Let’s talk about whether or not all four should be back.

FC Köln goalkeeper Jonas Urbig could be on the block sooner rather than later if Bayern Munich is truly going to get involved in the bidding:

Following his unexpected demotion to second-choice goalkeeper at 1. FC Köln, a winter transfer can’t be ruled out for Jonas #Urbig. #effzeh

There are concrete inquiries from abroad and interest from Bundesliga clubs as well.

A transfer by next summer remains highly likely, and an extension of his contract beyond 2026 is currently not planned.

Former Bayern Munich attacking midfielder James Rodriguez could be looking to leave Rayo Vallecano for Lazio:

Colombia star James Rodriguez, 33, could be set to leave Rayo Vallecano and Lazio want him if he does. (Mundo Deportivo)

Bayern Munich is back and looking powerful, but can it last? A lot of that will depend on how the team continues to come together over the course of this season.

Given that, there are several key issues that could play out in the coming weeks, which could affect some lineup decisions. Let’s talk about all of that and more:

• Jamal Musiala seems more likely to extend his contract than ever. What does this mean for the squad planning process moving forward?
• If Leroy Sané is eventually unhappy at Bayern Munich this season, it looks like he will have the chance to skip town pretty easily.
• Are we witnessing the final months of Thomas Müller and Manuel Neuer at Bayern Munich?
• The Entertainment Rundown.