Bayern Munich traveled to Borussia Mönchengladbach to kick off the second half of the season and the Bavarians did well to avoid the trap of their many time bogey team by snaring a 1-0 victory.
There is much to talk about from the match, so let’s dive in. Here are some quick hitters on the game:
- As always, let’s begin with a look at the starting XI:
- This went just about as expected once it was clear that Jamal Musiala was out. Thomas Müller stepped in for Musiala, Eric Dier started for Dayot Upamecano (suspension), and Leon Goretzka continue to get the nod over Aleksandar Pavlović, who has not looked like himself since returning from his broken collarbone injury. In addition, Manuel Neuer took back over in net and Leroy Sané was back over at left wing.
- As expected, Gladbach was playing very compact and expending a lot of energy in defending. Given how intense the defensive effort was, it was questionable on how long the group could sustain that kind of effort without mixing in any real threat of an attack.
- On the rare occasion that Bayern Munich did not have possession, it often won the ball back fairly easily.
- Gladbach was very sloppy early and Bayern Munich’s pressure did not make it easy on the home side. It was almost as if Gladbach had little to no composure on the ball.
- For all of the good traits Michael Olise has, he does force his shots too often. That will eventually be an issue if he cannot fine tune that a bit.
- If there was any critique of Bayern Munich’s dominant play early, it was the lack of involvement for Harry Kane.
- Bayern Munich’s crossing needs some work, eh?
- Goretzka had a strong chance to make it 1-0, but sent his attempt wide of the net.
- Müller nearly got that elusive first goal in the 23rd minute, but he hit the attempt too centrally. It was a great run by Müller, who was very active and looked good.
- The camera angles on the ESPN seemed different than normal and l cannot really tell yet if I liked them or not.
- Never one to beg for a penalty, it did seem as if referee Felix Zwayer missed a clear and obvious handball in the box. If the Rocco Reitz was protecting his face, it would have been fine to let it go. However, the ball made contact with Reitz’s hands which were over his head.
- Bayern Munich was ultimately held scoreless and the biggest takeaways were this: Olise’s forcing of shots is killing some possessions. When Sané gets frustrated with his lack of touches, he pushes in centrally and chokes away Kane’s space. Sané’s actions crowded the middle, which took away Bayern Munich’s best weapon on the day — Müller’s central runs toward the net. Kane draws so much attention, Müller could have made a living in the box. Bayern Munich’s passing and efficiency in that area were lacking.
- Did not love what Sané brought to the table against Gladbach. It seemed as if he quit on a few plays, sulked, and started to force things.
- Gladbach came out with more life in the second half and were ready to engage. Bayern Munich seemed a bit shocked with the increased level of intensity from the home side.
- Tim Kleindienst is much better than he is given credit for, but he would love to have a couple of those missed chances back.
- Kingsley Coman came on for Müller in the 60th minute, which seemed odd given how the veteran might have been the team’s best attacker through that part of the match.
- Olise earned a penalty in the 66th minute after a needless push by both Ulrich and Luca Netz. It was kind of weak to be honest, but it did go Bayern Munich’s way and Kane scored it to make it 1-0.
- Given how Coman played after coming on, it is not hard to envision Sané going to the bench. Sané missed a gold opportunity to make it 2-0 in the 71st minute.
- Bayern Munich somehow blew a four on one break in the 88th minute, which was a case study in how inept this attack can be at times.
- It is actually ludicrous that Bayern Munich did not score again. The attack had a lot of chances, but could not finish.
- Overall, Bayern Munich got the three points and was dominant for the most part, but it was not pretty. While it is true the game could have easily been 4-0 or 5-0 if not for some excellent goalkeeping from Moritz Nicolas and some inefficient finishing from Bayern Munich’s attack, the Bavarians need to find a better way to deal with this kind of game, against an opponent like Gladbach. Kompany has done well so far, but does need to sort this out — and quickly. Hoffenheim will surely look at this game film and try to mimic some of the things that Gladbach successfully deployed. With Bayer Leverkusen breathing down Bayern Munich’s neck, a slip-up could have massive consequences.
If you missed our Initial Analysis, Match Awards, Observations, or Postgame Podcast, give them a look or a listen:
Markus Babbel knows that that are calls for roster upheaval at Bayern Munich, particularly at the wing position. When Babbel examines the position and factors in the pending free agency for Alphonso Davies, he thinks Bayern might have to retain some players if it wants to keep its fiscal sanity.
“You would have to spend a huge amount of money on the alternatives, but you actually want to save money,” said Babbel. “For a left-back of Davies’ level, we’re talking about a sum of 60 million and more. In the end, you can give the money to the player you already have and know. So it’s going to be a very complicated story for FC Bayern.”
When it comes to Sané, Babbel thinks Bayern Munich just has not gotten enough in return from the player.
“And when I look at the big picture over the five years he has been in Munich, then personally I think it’s just too little for what he cost and what he deserves. I expect a higher level of consistency,” Babbel said. “Sane is not a low earner at FC Bayern, but a high earner. I could only imagine an extension if he is willing to forego a salary. Otherwise, in my view, the signs point to a separation.”
Bayern Munich is back in action, but there might be more work going on in the boardroom than on the pitch at the moment.
Let’s talk about everything going on, including the big debate — to add a release or not add a release clause to a new contract for Jamal Musiala. This is what we have on tap for this episode of the Bavarian Podcast Works — Weekend Warm-up Show:
- A quick rundown of Bayern Munich’s latest injury information.
- A release clause could be a potential requirement for Jamal Musiala’s camp and might be holding up his contract extension. Should Bayern Munich give-in and do it…or should it hold strong and not go down what could be a slippery slope for the future.
- Discussing the latest contract updates for Thomas Müller, Leroy Sané, and Joshua Kimmich.
- What are fair deals for Müller and Sané?
- Kimmich is taking a victory lap.
- Is Viktor Gyökeres the “next one”? Bayern Munich might think so.
- No Entertainment Rundown this week (sorry!).
Real Madrid wants to keep things close to home this summer when it comes to transfer targets:
Real Madrid want three new Spanish sides in the 2025 summer transfer window: Nico Williams, Martin Zubimendi and Miguel Gutierrez.
Arsenal FC wants Nico Williams, but is realizing that it probably cannot get him:
Arsenal could face difficulty in their pursuit of Athletic Club winger Nico Williams, reports the Daily Mirror. The Gunners are keen on the 22-year-old and could activate the £50m release clause, but there are concerns as to whether he would be open to a move this month, while a summer move could hinge on his expected salary demands of around £300,000-per-week. Barcelona are also interested.
The Winterpause allows us some time to reflect on the good, the bad, and the ugly from the first half of the season at Bayern Munich.
In this three four-part series for Bavarian Podcast Works, we will breakdown each position group — Attack, Midfield, Defense + the coach! — discuss each player and provide rating for how we feel they have played so far this season.
Chuck and Samrin break down Vincent Kompany. Here is some of what the duo discussed on the show:
- A look at how Kompany has adjusted to life on Säbener Straße.
- How Kompany’s tactics have succeed — and struggled — at various points during the first half of the season.
- Taking a gander at how Vincent Kompany has dealt with man-management. Has he won the locker room over, but struggled with rotations? Find out.
Former Bayern Munich prospect Malik Tillman is making quite the name for himself at PSV Eindhoven and has — allegedly — drawn interest from Tottenham Hotspur:
PSV Eindhoven midfielder Malik Tillman is wanted by Tottenham Hotspur in the winter window.
Liverpool FC is among the teams who wants to bring in Napoli winger extraordinaire Khvicha Kvaratskhelia:
Liverpool are poised to enter the race for Napoli winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, reports The Athletic. The Reds are reported to be keeping close tabs on the 23-year-old’s situation amid reports he could seal a move away from the Stadio Diego Maradona, with both Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United linked with him. The Serie A club would reportedly consider moving him on only if they receive a significant transfer fee of around €80m, and it looks as though the Anfield hierarchy will ensure they’re at the front of the queue for a move that would see him join up with his Georgia international compatriot Giorgi Mamardashvili, who is set to arrive on Merseyside in the summer after his loan spell at Valencia.
