Bayern Munich have made it through the first half of the 2025/26 season with an undefeated record in the league and cup. Only a single loss to Arsenal in the Champions League mars an otherwise perfect
campaign by Vincent Kompany and his team.
Now that the winter break is here, it’s time to look back at the months gone by and decide how each player performed individually. In part 1 of a three part series, we look at the defense.
Goalkeepers
Manuel Neuer
Minutes played: 1,800
Goals conceded: 21
Clean sheets: 6
Manuel Neuer had a few major highlights in the campaign so far, his best performance coming against PSG in the 2-1 win at Paris. However, at nearly 40 years of age, the venerable keeper is showing signs of slowing down. His distribution isn’t as crisp as it once was, and he is no longer the commanding presence on set pieces that he used to be.
Here are some stats for you. Per FBRef, Neuer’s post shot xGA is only in the 38th percentile for keepers in the top 5 leagues. His save percentage is in the 11th percentile. Now, to be fair, his PSxG/SoT (basically a measure of shot quality faced) is in the 93rd percentile, meaning he faces only very high quality chances, but it is something to note regardless.
Overall, Neuer is still a great keeper, but not the unshakeable monolith he used to be.
Rating: 6.8/10
Jonas Urbig
Minutes played: 450
Goals conceded: 3
Clean sheets: 3
Jonas Urbig barely got any time to play this season, but he has been a bright spot whenever he has been given the chance. His distribution under pressure is impeccable, like a young Manuel Neuer, and he has kept a clean sheet in each of his three Bundesliga appearances.
He needs more minutes in the second half of the season.
Rating: 7.5/10
Fullbacks
Konrad Laimer
Minutes played: 1,775
Goals: 2
Assists: 7
Konrad Laimer has been a revelation at right-back this season. The tireless Austrian has had his flank locked down tight — his work rate, intensity, and exceptional linkup with Michael Olise have been crucial to Bayern’s success this year. In addition to his duties at right-back, Laimer has also done a solid job filling in as a left-back when other options were unavailable. Due to his impact and versatility, you could argue he is one of the top 3 most important players on the squad.
Rating: 9.0/10
Josip Stanišić
Minutes played: 1,306
Goals: 2
Assists: 3
Josip Stanišić had a tough Hinrunde, mostly because he was asked to play out of position 90% of the time. Still, he did a solid job filling in at left-back, and his performances at right-back — while not on the level of Konrad Laimer — deserve plenty of credit. Now that Kompany has his left-backs back from injury, Stanišić should have a better time in the 2nd half of the season. This IS the guy who pocketed Mbappe, after all.
Rating: 7.0/10
Sacha Boey
Minutes played: 625
Goals: 0
Assists: 1
Sacha Boey is not Bayern quality, everyone knows this at this point. He is the third choice right-back in the current system, and mostly spends his time on the bench. It would be better for everyone involved if he leaves Bayern Munich in the winter.
Rating: 3.0/10
Raphaël Guerreiro
Minutes played: 661
Goals: 3
Assists: 3
Guerreiro is a tough one to rate, because he got most of his minutes in attacking midfield, not left-back. It seems that Vincent Kompany no longer rates him as a defender, preferring the 20-year-old Tom Bischof in that position instead. As an AM, Guerreiro is more or less average, easily outclassed by Lennart Karl and Serge Gnabry (and the injured Jamal Musiala). His time at Bayern Munich feels like it is coming to an end.
Rating: 5.1/10
Alphonso Davies
Minutes played: 48
Goals: 0
Assists: 0
Alphonso Davies spent most of the Hinrunde injured. He doesn’t get a rating here.
Rating: N/A
Hiroki Ito
Minutes played: 154
Goals: 0
Assists: 2
Like Davies, Ito did not play enough minutes to get a rating, but his short cameos were impressive.
Rating: N/A
Center-backs
Kim Min-jae
Minutes played: 790
Goals: 0
Assists: 1
Vincent Kompany does not trust Kim Min-jae and it shows. The big South Korean has barely started a game all season, and when he did — let’s just say he didn’t make a case for the starting XI.
Rating: 4.0/10
Jonathan Tah
Minutes played: 1,840
Goals: 2
Assists: 2
When Bayern Munich announced the signing of Jonathan Tah from Bayer Leverkusen, there were serious doubts. Tah is a good defender, but has a habit of making mistakes at the worst time possible. Well, Tah has proved his doubters wrong — at least as far as the Hinrunde is concerned. The 29-year-old German has been solid at the back, barely putting a foot wrong all season. We can only hope his form continues after the winter break.
Rating: 8.0/10
Dayot Upamecano
Minutes played: 1,667
Goals: 1
Assists: 0
Dayot Upamecano has been one of Bayern Munich’s most important players this season. You can tell he’s playing for a contract extension, because all aspects of his game have leveled up big time. Passing, positioning, tackles, interceptions — Upamecano is the complete package. Still, the errors have not completely vanished from his game, so he falls short of a higher rating.
Rating: 8.5/10
Overall Defensive Rating: 7.5/10
Including the Supercup, Bayern Munich have conceded 24 goals in 25 games. The performance against PSG was the defensive highlight of the season — a real show of grit and concentration. On the other hand, games against Arsenal and Union Berlin show that this team is far from invulnerable at the back.
Vincent Kompany can do better. Set pieces are a major problem for FC Bayern, and they shouldn’t be. The left-back position has been a weak point all season, but that should be fixed now that Alphonso Davies and Hiroki Ito are fit and back in the team. More rotation should also help, keeping defenders fit for the key parts of the season.
In short, fans should expect a better defensive performance in the second half of the season. The Hinrunde was just a preview.
If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor…
