In their return to club football after the World Cup, Bayern Munich faced RB Salzburg in a friendly in Munich. Surprisingly, the hype situated around Bayern’s return was not as high as anticipated though the void without football had left fans wanting Bayern back at the soonest.
This game was the perfect return for Bayern as it provided the exact amount of pressure, spectacle and enjoyment we needed. Here are some of our takeaways from the game.
Errors made, deservedly punished
For Bayern, it was certainly an unfortunate case of being punished for each error they made. Defensive sloppiness and players not reacting quick enough in attacking situations were both used effectively by Salzburg to launch lethal counterattacks. The team has surely been reminded of the fact that they will have to stay on their toes every second and play a clean game, else it would cost them dearly.
Please, Bayern. A little more care and caution in defending wouldn’t hurt.
How does no one understand?!
Are people, for some reason, living in 2010 and experiencing symptoms of amnesia on a daily basis? Or does Julian Nagelsmann take notes from Hansi Flick?
Thomas Müller hasn’t been very good in the striker position for nearly half a decade now — more precisely, he hasn’t played that position in ages. Despite Müller having played and miserably failed as a striker, in various attacking configurations and roles, Nagelsmann repeats the mistakes of Germany’s Flick. It is almost like our nightmares never leave us...
A case for the youngsters
Arijon Ibrahimović and Mathys Tel were brilliant. Ibra’s resilience and willingness to prove his merit and win the game was a treat to watch. Not a second was to be left to waste, according to this youngster, who spent all his time either attacking or defending and did a world-class job at it. Tel has been showing his sheer brilliance ever since the Hinrunde and it is no surprise that he showed up today and made wonders happen. Ryan Gravenberch had a solid outing at midfield today and was involved in some fantastic build-up. His press resistance and agility were on display today, as he made best use of his time on the pitch.
Now, onto awards.
Jersey Swap: Noah Okafor
Okafor was lethal in front of goal, converting both his shots into goals. Having secured a brace and made immense attacking contribution, Okafor was the best player for Salzburg — though perhaps goalkeeper Philipp Köhn was equally brilliant.
Der Kaiser: Alphonso Davies
As great as Dayot Upamecano was, it is Alphonso Davies who takes home the awards today. Involved in attack and making important recovery runs, Davies was rarely outrun and was a solid figure at the backline. A very strong case can be put forth for Upamecano, who has maintained his excellent streak of performances from the World Cup.
Fußballgott: Joshua Kimmich
Joshua Kimmich was close enough to his usual reliable self, with some great touches and contesting duels and winning challenges at midfield.
Der Bomber: Leroy Sane
Sane might be one of the most brilliant Bayern players ever. Change my mind.
The finish on the first goal was simply superb, his work rate was world-class until the moment he was subbed off and to put simply, he played some beautiful football today. A case can be made for Kingsley Coman, who was incredible too.
Meister of the Match: Arijon Ibrahimović
Ibrahimovic deserves all the praise on the planet and more for the incredible game he played. I cannot describe in words how dear to my heart this kid is. The fact remains that he deserves a role in the first team over a multitude of other senior players with this performance alone.
Who else do you think deserved a shout-out? Let us know in the comments!
Looking for some additional Bayern Munich talk ahead of the Rückrunde, check out our Weekend Warm-up Podcast: