Bayern Munich put in a composed performance against a very capable opponent in Mainz, beating a rather tired opponent away from home. The result is very misleading: Bayern dominated at all times and the locals were lucky that the Bavarians did not appear with their scoring boots. That being said, someone check on Harry Kane. Too many opportunities, too few goals. Bayern Munich had 7 shots on goal, a passing accuracy of 92% and a billion chances created during the game, with only two goals to show for it. It shouldn’t have been even remotely close, but the game ended up being decided by a single goal. That’s what makes this victory strange. Not in the sense that this is something new we’re seeing at Bayern: the team has had moments where it’s been difficult to realize opportunities, like the second leg against PSG in the Champions League last season or the game against Viking, where Bayern simply lacked a final product. Is it time to move Upamecano to forward? Take a bow, Konrad the PMMM! (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images) Getty ImagesThe Munich perpetual motion machineThe player with four lungs. Alpine Zidane. You can call him whatever you want because he’s too busy running towards goal or defending against two men to care. Bayern Munich does not need a right back with starting quality in the winter window, and Laimer has made it clear and loud. So now the club has to invest in reinforcement so that Laimer does not collapse. The player has made huge improvements to his game, including his telepathic communication with Michael Olise. They both have a fantastic instinct for knowing where the other is at any given moment and are able to overlap seamlessly. The “Konise” synergy (yes, we call it that) elevates both players. They both defend like maniacs and attack as if the defenders owe them money. Laimer’s two-way contributions ensured that Mainz couldn’t really do much for most of the game on that flank. Can someone call a plumber? This defense has more leaks than a politician’s “off-the-record” dinner. Which is annoying, because for much of the game, she’s rock solid. You can’t beat Upamecano and Jonas Urbig is a fantastic goalkeeper, make no mistake. However, the team continues to give up silly goals by switching off for a split second. This is exactly how Bayern conceded a near-death goal, and would have conceded another sucker if VAR had not intervened earlier in the match. Is this a question of mentality? Do players get a false sense of security as soon as Bayern takes the lead? Either way, something needs to be done to fix this problem. This defense has the potential to be the best in Europe, but right now it just isn’t there. The most important number: Three. Three points. That’s the only thing that matters at the end of the day, and if Bayern manages to get three points after every game for the rest of the season, we would achieve another treble. This iteration of Bayern just feels different somehow: plagued by injuries, head coach out, players shaking off the rust… and somehow Bayern is the only undefeated team in Europe’s top leagues. Maybe you don’t need to press like crazy in every game and play like it’s your last. Sometimes it’s nice to get a win, conserve some energy, and regroup for a bigger occasion. Bayern will have to face the likes of Barcelona, PSG and Arsenal later in the season, and those matches will be decided by the finest of margins. A win is all that will count there. Register for a user account and get: New improved notification system! Fewer ads Create community posts Comment on articles and community posts Receive comments, community posts
