FC Augsburg nearly put an end to Bayern Munich’s unbeaten run in the Bundesliga two seasons in a row after scoring in the sixth second, courtesy of a Manuel Neuer blunder. However, Bayern clawed back a one goal deficit on two separate occasions, playing out to a hard-fought 2-2 draw.
Here are the awards from Bayern’s narrow escape.
Jersey Swap: FC Augsburg
This award could have gone to anyone, from the coach down to the players — Augsburg were near perfect.
Lets start with the defence. Finn Dahmen, Abdulai Juma Bah, Chrislain
Matsima, and Calvin Brackelman, take a bow. Dahmen’s saves, combined with the discipline and physicality of Augsburg’s three centre-backs, acted as the core of Augsburg’s rock-solid defence.
Augsburg’s left flank came into the game with a very difficult problem to solve: Michael Olise. Well, it turns a mishmash of Hennes Behrens, Arijon Ibrahimović, and an insatiable defensive appetite was the perfect solution. Behrens and Ibrahimović worked tirelessly to neutralise the Frenchman, limiting him to half chances only.
Then there’s the attack: far from military-grade firepower, but as efficient as a Swiss watch. Their chances were few and far between, but when they arrived, Augsburg grabbed them with both hands and didn’t let go.
Plaudits to Manuel Baum and his Augsburg team. They set up perfectly and proved to be a thorn in Bayern’s side once again.
Der Kaiser: Dayot Upamecano
A handful of high-profile mistakes were the only thing separating Dayot Upamecano from becoming an elite-level centre-back. The Frenchman long since ironed out those errors; his performance against Augsburg is another piece of proof that he is now one of the best defenders in the world.
Upamecano’s physicality is a vital piece of his game and Kompany’s high press. The 27-year-old mopped up countless Augsburg counter-attacks with his recovery pace and strength. He’s no slouch on the ball either, occasionally resembling an additional midfielder.
Despite his team conceding two goals, the Frenchman still had a solid game.
Fußballgott: Aleksandar Pavlović
Aleksandar Pavlović continued his strong run of form following a successful international break with the German national team.
Pavlović is a smooth operator on the ball, but it’s his off the ball work that has seen a massive improvement. Combative and strong, the 22-year-old midfielder helped Bayern win the ball high up in the opposing half. It’s too bad Bayern couldn’t muster up many meaningful chances off the back of his contributions.
After a middling 2025/26 season, Pavlović looks primed and ready to cement himself as one of footballs top-tier midfielders.
Der Bomber: Luis Díaz
Néstor Lorenzo’s decision to omit Luis Díaz from Colombia’s latest international squad, allowing the winger to rest instead, is already paying dividends for Bayern.
Díaz looked renewed and refreshed, causing all sorts of problems down Augsburg’s right flank. Whether drawing defenders out of position or beating his man, the Colombian international always did something useful in possession of the ball.
It’s too soon to say Díaz is back to the levels he achieved last season, but his performance against Augsburg was certainly a step in the right direction after a disappointing start to the season.
Honourable Attacking Mentions
Ismael Saibari — The Moroccan international was involved in every meaningful attack Bayern had in the first half. He was eventually awarded with his second Bundesliga goal of the season after almost having his eye gauged out.
Serge Gnabry — Gnabry made a massive impact off the bench. The 31-year-old shook things up in the attack constantly positioning himself in dangerous areas. He came extremely close to bagging a goal, but the Augsburg defence remained defiant.
Nathaniel Brown — The 23-year-old scored a much needed goal off the bench. He came on and did exactly what he needed to do. Another display of Bayern’s quality off the bench.
Meister of the Match: Harry Kane
This was probably a sub-par game by Harry Kane’s standard; yet, he produced a Man-of-the-Match performance — a testament to the levels that the English striker is operating at.
While Kane failed to emulate his goal scoring form with England across the international break, he still played a vital role in the attack, picking up two assists. He could have had a few more after assisting two of Bayern’s three off-side goals in the second half.
The 33-year-old bagsman’s influence goes beyond scoring goals. Today he played creator. Perhaps next week he will be back in goal-scoring form. Either way, he won’t allow any defence a moments rest.
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