Daily Schmankerl: The aftermath of Germany vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bayern Munich looking to FC Barcelona for help at left-back; Inter Milan getting involved in Jonathan Tah sweepstakes; Manchester United was warned it would blow money; and MORE!

Injured and largely unfamiliar with each other, the German national team took the pitch against Bosnia and Herzegovina — and somehow managed to put together a win under less-than-optimal circumstances.

It was truly a 2-1 victory that the squad will take and run with. Let’s get right to and discuss the match:

• As always, let’s start with Julian Nagelsmann’s lineup:

• This is pretty much what was expected. The only position up for grabs was striker where Tim Kleindienst and Jonathan Burkardt were battling for time. Kleindienst got the nod for this match. One position to watch for the upcoming Netherlands match will be in the central midfielder where Aleksandar Pavlović is pushing for a starting role.
• As it turns out, Pavlović was nursing what appeared to be a calf injury.
• Germany’s first half was — as expected — very choppy. The game lacked flow, the midfield had trouble getting involved, and the attack was not overly scary. Kleindienst just could not get going, either.
• However, Denis Undav did ping home two goals (the second one was especially nice) to put Germany up 2-0. Even with all of the injuries, Germany was just more talented.
• The backline was fine, but it was rarely tested. Maximilian Mittelstädt lost possession more than I would like to see. Overall, Mittelstädt’s lost possession count was an Alphonso Davies-esque 20 times! Aside of that, Mittelstädt was very active and effective, but he needs to take better care of the ball.
• The second half was not really all that much better (but not worse…it was just that kind of game). Germany dominated, was never really threatened, and looked like it was just trying to get through the match with minimal damage so it could focus on Monday’s game vs. the Netherlands.
• Bosnia and Herzegovina did get on the scoreboard in the 70th minute Edin Džeko.
• Overall, it was very much a ho-hum, but necessary effort for Germany. This team is battling so many injuries (more players got hurt in this game) that it is hard to really knock them. In fact, they should be given credit for the flexibility and resilience they we were able to show. It was not pretty, but Germany got the job done.

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

As Bayern Munich explores options for the left-back position next season, it could be looking over to FC Barcelona for help.

Alphonso Davies is expected to leave Bavaria on a free transfer to Real Madrid, which could leave a hole at the position (depending on how things work out for Hiroki Ito, Raphaël Guerreiro, and Adam Aznou):

Being a highly integrated and complex sporting structure, some changes in football can end up having significant direct and indirect impacts on several entities. This is particularly true for some transfers, and FC Barcelona have also experienced this phenomenon multiple times in its rich history.

The Blaugranes can once again find themselves at the receiving end of a move that mainly involves other big European clubs.

The future of the fullback Alphonso Davies at Bayern Munich is highly uncertain as his contract ends at the end of this season, and he still has not agreed on a renewal with the Bavarians. Thus, there is a real possibility that he can leave for free next year, and Real Madrid, among other clubs, has been touted as a potential destination for him.

While such a big move for one of their direct rivals can itself have significant implications for Barcelona, this move can prove to be even costlier for them as Fichajes reports that Bayern Munich are eyeing Alejandro Balde as one of the candidates to replace Davies if the Canadian eventually parts ways with them.

But such a move would not entirely be to the Catalans’ distaste. Although they understand that Balde is one of the best fullback talents currently and have already taken steps to protect him with a €1 billion release clause, they will still listen to offers if a particularly enticing offer comes in, especially as they need funds to solve their financial problems.

Bayern Munich is on break, but that does not mean that there is not a lot to talk about.

We have a lot to discuss on this edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works — Weekend Warm-up Show, so let’s get right down to it:

• A look at where each position group stands for Bayern Munich at this break. What’s working, what’s not, what we should keep an eye on moving forward.
• Breaking down “The Kompany Rules.”
• Talks are going well with Joshua Kimmich and Jamal Musiala — let’s talk about where things stand.
• The return of the Entertainment Rundown — I delved into The Penguin…let’s discuss.

FC Barcelona could have some interest in Canadian striker Jonathan David:

Barcelona have entered the race for Lille striker Jonathan David, who is also on the radar of Newcastle.

Inter Milan is reportedly joining Bayern Munich, FC Barcelona, and Real Madrid in pursuit of Bayer Leverkusen center-back Jonathan Tah:

Inter Milan are eager to capture the services of highly sought-after Bayer Leverkusen defender Jonathan Tah next summer.

However, according to Spanish news outlet Sport, as reported by FCInterNews, the Italian giants face stiff competition from three European powerhouses for the Germany international.

Indeed, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and, most recently, Real Madrid have joined the Nerazzurri in a fiercely contested transfer race for Tah’s signature.

Tah’s contract at the BayArena runs out at the end of the 2024/25 season, which makes him a uniquely exciting prospect.

Well, Bayern Munich is on break, so that means that the German national team takes center stage for the time being.

What better way to dive into what is going on with the squad and its preparation for the upcoming games than with the Bavarian Podcast Works — Preview Show?

Germany has a litany of injuries to deal with as the following players will miss this set of games: Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala, RB Leipzig’s David Raum and Benjamin Henrichs, FC Barcelona’s Marc-André ter Stegen, Arsenal FC’s Kai Havertz, and Eintracht Frankfurt’s Robin Koch.

Meanwhile Jamie Leweling, Tim Kleindienst and Jonathan Burkardt all received their first call-up. Robin Gosens and Kevin Schade are back as well…and Bernd Leno actually turned down a chance to join the team.

Clearly, this will look a lot different than it did last month. Let’s take a look at what we have for this combo Preview Show:

• Assessing where the roster stands with all of the injuries and absences.
• Why Julian Nagelsmann is going to get tested during this set of games.
• A look at the position groups and who could get a chance to stand out.
• Predictions on each match.

Former Bayern Munich striker Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting is still looking for a new club, but likely will not be heading to Brazil or Dubai to play any time soon:

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting wants to continue his career and is currently not thinking about retirement.

Recently, he has turned down offers from Brazil and Dubai. The 35-year-old striker is still waiting for the right offer and is currently staying in shape privately.

@SkySportDE

Manchester United was given a stern warning by Edwin van der Sar that it was going to overpay for the underachieving Brazilian:

Edwin van der Sar warned Manchester United and Erik ten Hag they were overpaying for Antony back in 2022 only to be ignored.

As the Bundesliga heads into another early international break, things are starting to take shape. In this episode of ‘The Bundesliga Rundown,’ we dive into Matchday 6, featuring another showdown between the league’s top two teams.

Marcus shares his thoughts on Bayern Munich’s winless run, why Eintracht Frankfurt remains one of the most exciting teams to watch, and why Wolfsburg is performing better than their current league position suggests.

Additionally, Marcus will cover:

• Why Bayern fans shouldn’t be too concerned about the recent winless run.
• Is Omar Marmoush and Hugo Ekitike the most exciting attacking duo in the Bundesliga? Or is it Jonas Wind and Mohamed Amoura?
• Plus, a look at the vibrant, often overlooked football in Germany’s lower divisions.