It is hard to say if Aleksandar Pavlović being fit and available for Bayern Munich’s 4-1 loss to Barcelona in the Champions League would have made a massive difference in the outcome of the match or not, but Vincent Kompany certainly was not thrilled to have lost his midfielder early on in the 4-0 win over VfB Stuttgart.
There is now an open window for João Palhinha to get some needed minutes in midfield alongside Joshua Kimmich for Bayern, but the performance in Barcelona did not exactly bode well for that double pivot.
In fairness to Palhinha, there were not too many players from Bayern’s squad that were able to come away from Barcelona with high plaudits in the losing effort, and Kompany also was not aided by not being able to start Jamal Musiala — the playmaker just made his way back from injury and was a sub off the bench in the second half. It was evident on the night, though; whatever worked against Stuttgart just days prior, did not work against Barcelona.
Despite being out-classed by the Catalan La Liga outfit, Kimmich is still keeping an upbeat attitude about Bayern’s midfield, even though they will be without Pavlović until the start of 2025. The youngsters collarbone injury was the result of a nasty fall against Stuttgart and required an operation that now requires a lengthy recovery period.
For Kimmich, the rest of the talent in the squad should be able to fill the temporary void left by Pavlović’s collarbone injury. “We’ll really miss Aleks. He started the season really well. But we’re still well covered in the position and will try to make up for his absence. That’s generally what makes a team, that the others are there when someone’s out. And we’ve got great confidence in the other guys,” he explained in the press conference ahead of the Barcelona clash (via @iMiaSanMia).
As far as depth is concerned in midfield for Kompany, even without Pavlović for now, the Belgian manager still has Kimmich, Palhinha, and Leon Goretzka in the ranks as far as true central midfielders, though both Konrad Laimer and Raphaël Guerreiro that can play there, too. While it may be a bit more of a tactical stretch, too, even Musiala and Thomas Müller have played in slightly more retreated midfield roles, but that is far less common.
Looking for more thoughts and analysis on how FC Barcelona dismantled Bayern Munich in the Champions League? Well, buckle up. This Bavarian Podcast Works — Postgame Show will be a ride that you will want a ticket for. You can check it out on Patreon, Spotify, or below:
As always, we appreciate all the support!
Be sure to stay tuned to Bavarian Podcast Works for all of your up to date coverage on Bayern Munich and Germany. Check us out on Patreon and follow us on Twitter @BavarianFBWorks, @BavarianPodcast @TheBarrelBlog, @BFWCyler, @bfwinnn, @IredahlMarcus, @2012nonexistent, @TommyAdams71 and more.
