Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund fought to a hard-earned 1-1 draw in a game that left both teams feeling as if they deserved a victory.
The Bavarians started slow, picked up a big injury, and scrambled to survive the first half before upping the pressure in the second half and finally breaking through to knot the game.
Ultimately, both squads will lament that they could have done just a little bit more to grab more points. Here are some quick hitters on the match:
- As always, let’s begin with a look at Bayern Munich’s starting XI:
- Well, Mathys Tel starting came out of nowhere. I don’t know if that says more about the work that Tel is doing or the state of things on the wing, as Michael Olise, Serge Gnabry, and Kingsley Coman all took a backseat to the young Frenchman. We did find out during the pregame interview that Kompany did on the field that Gnabry was unavailable, but it still felt a little weird for Tel to get the nod. That move was a massive surprise. Less shocking (though at least a little unexpected), was the selection of Konrad Laimer over Raphaël Guerreiro at right-back, but it makes sense given Laimer’s superior quickness over the former BVB man.
- Tel did not impress and did not look like he was up to speed with things for the match. There is no reason to write him off, but it is becoming very clear that the playing time he so desperately needs for his development is with some other team right now and not with Bayern Munich.
- Just two minutes into the match, Gregor Kobel had a terrible pass into the middle, where Kim Min-jae (!?) made the interception, but could not control the ball well enough to do anything substantial.
- Leroy Sané had a good rip at a shot in the 7th minute, but Kobel handled it easily.
- Waldemar Anton had to leave the game early with a groin injury, which put Niklas Süle on to the pitch in the 17th minute.
- Both teams struggled with passing at times early on.
- Jamie Gittens, though, had a little something for Bayern Munich. On the left sideline, a pass from Nico Schlotterbeck came toward Gittens, who let the ball run, sprinted past Laimer, who took a bad angle; Gittens then took big touches all the way down the field until he roofed a shot over Neuer for a 1-0 lead. Laimer’s positioning created the problem, but Kim Min-jae’s lack of support allowed to be a goal. That was not…good. In fact, it is hard to fathom how poor it was from both Laimer and Min-jae.
- For his part, Gittens has been very good this season and that goal was an example of what he is capable of. Gittens really gave BVB life.
- Harry Kane had to leave the game in the 33rd minute, but you would not have even known he was on the pitch. It was a very invisible effort from Kane. Obviously, though, Kane’s health is at the forefront of everything. Hopefully, this injury is nothing significant. Thomas Müller came in for Kane, but the veteran just does not look like himself.
- Borussia Dortmund clearly could smell blood in the water and really started to get after Bayern Munich.
- Müller had a good look at the goal with a header in the 37th minute, but could not get anything on it.
- Jamal Musiala was forcing things a bit too much early on. There did not seem to be a wall of BVB players that he was unwilling to dribble into. So…yeah, Bayern Munich looked very disjointed. Musiala would turn it around, though, which ended up being a major part of the match.
- The midfield chemistry was just not there in the first half or the game overall. Goretzka was taking too many chances with low-percentage passes at a time where Bayern Munich needed to just settle things down and establish some kind of control of the match. Kimmich was good (not great). Together, they were…okay.
- You have to wonder if the inclusion of Tel might have had an adverse effect on the rhythm that Bayern Munich was attacking with. While not always in sync, Tel seemed kind of lost in the flow of the game.
- Curiously, when Kane left the match, it should have resulted in Müller moving to the No. 10, Musiala shifting to wing, and Tel sliding in to play striker. Instead, Müller played striker, which is…interesting. Bayern Munich seems very unwilling to ask Musiala to play wing, even when the team desperately needs him to.
- Müller and Musiala both had chances to knot the game early in the second half, but could not make good on those opportunities. Müller just was not good enough for the second consecutive appearance. This is a bit worrisome for Bayern Munich as it will have a very tough decision to make on the veteran in the coming months. After a great start to the season, Müller has taken several steps backwards and for the first time just looks….old.
- Neuer made a terrific save on Marcel Sabitzer to keep Bayern Munich at just a one-goal deficit, but things just were not clicking for the Bavarians.
- Kompany tried to breathe some life into the game by bringing in Kingsley Coman for Tel (who did not do anything to warrant another start any time soon unfortunately) and Sacha Boey for Laimer (who was getting worn down from the up-and-down nature of things).
- Min-jae picked up a gash over his eye thanks to an elbow from Serhou Guirassy and had to leave the match.
- Somehow, someway, though, after 85 minutes of scuffling, Bayern Munich got on the scoreboard. After Süle used his face to block a free kick from Leroy Sané, the ball ultimately ended up with Olise, who whipped in a cross and found the head of Musiala for yet another header goal for Musiala.
- Overall, this was not a great match for Bayern Munich, but it did show some resilience and heart to be able to come back like that. Bayern Munich was not as much in sync as it previously had been, and the team did have a lot of trouble connecting against the high-intensity effort from BVB. This is a match where the team was a bit fortunate to get a draw, but at the same it was well-earned. That might sound confusing, but it was a confounding game at times. That might have been Borussia Dortmund’s best shot and Bayern Munich took it on the chin on the road…and still earned a point. That does mean something.
If you missed our Initial Analysis, Match Awards, Observations, or Postgame Podcast, give them a look or a listen:
Chelsea FC could be open to selling Mykhailo Mudryk. Mudryk, of course, likely will not come cheap, but has — allegedly — been on Bayern Munich’s wish list:
Chelsea are open to parting ways with Mykhailo Mudryk in January, with new manager Enzo Maresca yet to be convinced by the Ukraine international.
At one point, Andreas Christensen was on the transfer radar of Bayern Munich. Instead of Bayern, though, Christensen left Chelsea FC for FC Barcelona, where things might no longer be working out:
Barcelona could let centre-back Andreas Christensen leave in January with the club unsure whether they can promise the 28-year-old regular first-team football with several options available in his position, and set to enter the final year of his deal next summer.
Bayern Munich could be in need of some depth on the backline. Should it kick the tires on Christensen?
Bayern Munich is in the midst of the tough stretch before the Winterpause, but the squad is riding high and playing extremely well under Vincent Kompany.
That said, there are quite a few hit discussions topics surrounding the team at the moment, so we are going to tackle those and some other fun things on this edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works — Weekend Warm-up Show. This is what we have on tap:
- In the spirit of the holiday (at least for those of us in the United States), let’s talk about what we’re thankful for with Bayern Munich so far this season.
- Does the greater Bundesliga need Borussia Dortmund to win this weekend to save the league title race?
- Let’s talk about the latest Leroy Sané rumor and what that might mean for the team moving forward.
Bayer Leverkusen striker Victor Boniface is on the transfer radar of Manchester United:
Mo Salah might not want to leave Liverpool FC. Instead, he would — allegedly — like a new three-year contract:
Mohamed Salah wants to sign a three-year contract to stay at Liverpool, reports Football Insider, with discussions regarding the 32-year-old winger’s future now coming to a crucial stage. With the Egypt international out of contract at the end of the season, Salah wants a new deal that would run until 2028. It’s an equally important time for Virgil van Dijk, with Nicolo Schira reporting that talks are progressing between the 33-year-old Dutch centre-back and Liverpool as they try to extend his contract until 2027.
Chelsea FC might be coming to the reality that it cannot procure Victor Osimhen from Napoli. Osimhen is currently on loan with Galatasaray:
Chelsea are not confident they will be able to sign Napoli striker Victor Osimhen and are searching for alternatives, says journalist Simon Phillips. The Blues have been monitoring several centre-forwards in Europe, including Brighton & Hove Albion’s Evan Ferguson and Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap. Though Nicolas Jackson has impressed at Stamford Bridge there are concerns over Christopher Nkunku’s future at the club, and a new No. 9 is on the agenda.
