Bayern Munich still seem to be in preseason. A large part of the squad remains either unfit or injured, and some of the most important cogs returned to training only a week ago. Despite this, they stood up to Borussia Dortmund and beat them on their own ground.
Vincent Kompany will not be pleased by the performance. There was sloppiness, mistakes, and missed chances. However, this game demonstrated the sheer gulf in quality between FC Bayern and the rest of the league. Sure, BVB had a late surge and almost
equalized. But Bayern Munich barely got out of second gear. The truth is, they didn’t stand a chance.
Jersey Swap: Julian Ryerson
Niko Kovač did not want Bayern Munich to play football. So he decided his team would use physical, cynical, and disruptive tactics to close the gap in player quality. No one exemplifies this strategy more than Julian Ryerson. The Norwegian is a decent fullback, but Michael Olise has turned up against the best in the world and made them look like fools. So he decided to foul him. Again. And again. And again.
It was frankly comical how the referee allowed Ryerson (and the rest of the BVB team) to repeatedly get away with disruptive, tactical fouls. In a way, you could give Ryerson credit, because he toed the line well enough to not get carded while almost trying to injure Michael Olise. He couldn’t prevent the goals that went in, but the game would have been a one-sided drubbing if BVB had played any other way.
Der Kaiser: Kim Min-jae
Last season, Kim Min-jae was glued to the bench, unable to convince coach Vincent Kompany that he deserved more than substitute minutes. This season, well … if this performance becomes the standard, then Kompany may need to revisit his first choice defense.
The big South Korean showed a glimpse of what he is capable of, resembling the form he had during his first six months in Germany. He was active, aggressive, and well-positioned to snuff out most BVB attacks before they had a chance to threaten Manuel Neuer’s goal. However, consistency has been Kim’s biggest weakness since arrival. He will need many more of these performances to earn a spot next to Dayot Upamecano in the first team XI.
Fußballgott: Joshua Kimmich
The World Cup was a fluke, both Joshua Kimmich and Aleksandar Pavlović are plenty good. Bayern Munich had the better of the midfield battle against Dortmund and it is mainly down to these two. Kimmich just edges out Pav due to a stronger performance in the final third of the pitch.
Der Bomber: Nathaniel Brown
Playing in a position no one expected, Nathaniel Brown was not an earthshattering revelation at attacking midfield. He was serviceable and showed strong awareness to pounce on the goal, but he lacks the raw attacking instincts or 1v1 ability of Ismael Saibari or Jamal Musiala. A good performance but it’s unlikely to be repeated, unless Kompany is cooking a brand new dish.
Meister of the Match: Michael Olise
Mediocre. This was a mediocre game for Michael Olise. He still got a goal and an assist, and once tracked back the entire length of the pitch to stop a counterattack. There is no winger more complete, and only his teammate Harry Kane has a claim to being a better overall player right now. An off-color Michael Olise is still more than enough to beat all but the best teams in the world.
Imagine what he’ll do when he’s back to his best.
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