After a turbulent week in which manager Thomas Tuchel announced his summer farewell to the club, Bayern Munich took a page from Bayer Leverkusen’s book and scored an unlikely stoppage-time goal to seal their home victory. They earned 3 points against RB Leipzig. The 2-1 result means Bayern will remain in the Bundesliga title race for at least another week.
How will Sane get back on track?
When Bayern played against Leipzig, Hinrunde, Leroy Sane was playing the best football of his career. He scored eight goals in the first 11 games of the season, but has found the net just three times since September.
Today, Sane always stopped attacking situations. In the first half, Jamal Musiala sent Sane a perfectly weighted through ball, but Sane did not let the one-on-one chance slip away and dribbled the ball away from Leipzig goalkeeper Janis Blaswig.
With the Bundesliga title mathematically within reach, manager Thomas Tuchel should give Matthijs Tell plenty of minutes and let Sane figure it out from the sidelines.
Magic Musiala XXL
Jamal Musiala is not a pure winger. He’s not a pure central midfielder. He is a hybrid who shines in the half-spaces. He repeatedly picked at Leipzig’s defense, but only failed when double or triple-teamed.
If Alphonso Davies returns from injury and can incorporate overlapping runs, Musiala will find more space in the final third. This is clearly the way forward for Bayern’s attack and should not be tampered with.
Kimmich wins Best Supporting Actor Oscar
Dayot Upamecano (red card), Sacha Boye (injured) and Nouser Mazraoui (injured) were all unavailable today. It may have been intended as a punishment, but Tuchel opted to push Joshua Kimmich to right-back, which immediately paid dividends. Kimmich may not be a speedy winger, but he channeled his inner Philipp Lahm and was positionally stable both on and off the ball.
Kimmich almost looks relieved to have less responsibility and be able to play with more joy and freedom. Despite his nagging shoulder injury, Kimmich bounced back with a refreshing stride.
“I’ll try everything I can think of.” — Citizen Kane
Harry Kane sealed the victory with a miraculous left-footed volley in stoppage time. Although he only had 30 touches (Manuel Neuer had 46), he made the most of his chances. Bayern’s build-up seems to connect better with Kane or Thomas Muller dropping into midfield and redirecting the play-out wide. Kane even attempted a bicycle kick, which probably would have hit the back of the net with better contact.
hot can tuchel roof box
In his first game since officially confirming his departure from the club this summer, Tuchel opted to watch the first half in the least comfortable seat in the entire stadium. It’s a metal box. He spent the second half sitting with the other coaches, but left his box in the coaches’ area.
Bayern Munich’s players have just proven that as a team manager, it’s better to win with inanimate objects. The team’s mascot, Berni the bear, will probably take over as an assistant next week.