Bayern Munich proved to be the dominant side from start to finish, and the positive energy around Säbener Straße will continue despite last week’s hangover in Barcelona. Here are BFW’s observations from Bayern’s DFB-Pokal win against lacklustre Mainz 05:
Bayern the Professionals
The MEWA Arena was building up for what could have been the event of the year. For a club like Mainz 05, matchups against top teams like Bayern don’t come around often — and you could feel the anticipation immediately. The atmosphere was electric from the start, with Mainz fans gearing up for a match they hoped would be unforgettable.
But Bayern, always the professionals, had other plans. Despite facing an atmosphere that any team might find intimidating, Bayern took the lead within 90 seconds, and after 45 minutes — with 79% possession — Bayern had effectively put the game to bed.
Considering that even a powerhouse like Bayern can sometimes face shocking early exits in the DFB-Pokal (who can forget FC Saarbrücken and Holstein Kiel?), the team’s disciplined, professional approach today silenced any doubts early on.
Eric Dier’s still got it
Eric Dier was excellent during his first start of the season. With Dayot Upamecano and Kim Min-jae logging significant minutes, sometimes unconvincingly, it’s reassuring to know that Dier can step up in crucial matches and deliver a solid performance when needed.
Hopefully, his injury is nothing serious as this kind of squad depth will be crucial for Bayern for the rest of the season.
The high line is here to stay
Vincent Kompany’s tactics revolve around high-pressing and possession-based football that builds from the back. While this is obvious for most readers, I wondered whether Kompany would continue his aggressive high-line approach following Bayern’s heavy defeat to FC Barcelona only a week ago.
Personally, I was happy Kompany kept on sticking to this high-risk, high-reward tactical style. Mainly for two reasons:
- It has the potential to dominate any opponent, as Hansi Flick demonstrated with Bayern in 2020. It also allows for flexibility, as Bayern showed today by having Alphonso Davies often switch places with Serge Gnabry during the first half, while Joshua Kimmich dropped back to form a back three with Kim Min-jae and Eric Dier.
- But more importantly, it is fun to watch. After more than a year with Thomas Tuchel’s more pragmatic style, watching Bayern feels thrilling again under Kompany.
Trust the process
It’s only been a week since Bayern Munich’s cold shower against Barça, and while a win against Mainz doesn’t prove that Bayern will become Champions League finalists, it is another step towards the right direction.
With 20 points out of a possible 24 in the league and qualification to the next round of the cup in style, Die Roten are faring well in terms of results. More importantly, the team has shown substantial improvement since the summer coaching changes, and it’s clear that Kompany’s ideas are starting to take root. There will be plenty more Champions League matches ahead for Bayern to turn their fortunes around in that competition, too.
After years of turbulence at Bayern, a period of stability would be welcomed, even for a club like FC Hollywood. A loss to red-hot Barcelona doesn’t change this — Bayern and Kompany demonstrated today that they remain committed to the process.
Looking for more thoughts and analysis from Bayern Munich’s 4-0 dismantling of Mainz 05 in the DFB-Pokal? Awesome, then we have you covered with our Bavarian Podcast Works — Postgame Show. You can get the podcast on Patreon, Spotify, or below:
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