Die Folgen: Bayern’s 2-2 draw with Union Berlin (Bavarian Football Works)
The winning streak was going to end at some point, but the undefeated streak is still alive for Bayern Munich.
Traveling to Berlin for a prototypical trap game with Union Berlin seemed like it might not
be too difficult on paper, but how it played out on the pitch was far different. The Iron Ones were determined and focused, while the Bavarians were flat as a flapjack in a 2-2 draw. Let’s get into it, here are some quick hitters on the match:
- As always, let’s begin with a look at the starting XI:
- There was not really a surprise in the lineup. Vincent Kompany went with one version of his Champagne XI (Leon Goretzka and Aleksandar Pavlović seem to be interchangeable in that role next Kimmich for the manager). After the intense and draining match-up with Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, it was a risk to fully “run it back.” That gamble would prove costly and Bayern Munich looked tired and beaten down.
- Union Berlin came out flying and even looked like it took a lead within the first 10 minutes of the game, but the goal was ruled to be just offside. It was very close.
- There was a clear energy coming from the crowd and Union Berlin’s players responded by buzz all over and around Bayern Munich.
- We often talk about trap games here and it appeared early on that Bayern Munich was falling victim to one. It was truly as fast and intense as The Iron Ones have played all season.
- Bayern Munich looked a step slow, a bit unfocused, and maybe lacking motivation early in the match. It was not a look we have seen much this season from the Bavarians.
- Honestly, Bayern Munich was completely overwhelmed by Union Berlin at times in the first half. It was an eye-opening performance for Union Berlin, who would have been a prime candidate for a letdown game if there were Bundesliga matches next weekend.
- The Iron Ones appeared to have more power and energy to their game than Bayern Munich could handle.
- Bayern Munich was flat and needed an injection of life. This was the first time all season that Vincent Kompany had seen his starting XI so lifeless and outworked.
- Before anyone panics, Bayern Munich was absolutely due for this kind of game and as stated many times, it was the perfect scenario for a “trap game.”
- In the 27th minute, a Union Berlin finally got the goal from a corner it probably deserved the first time around. This time, is was Danilho Doehki who hit a hard groundball that Neuer could not stop and all of a sudden it was a 1-0 lead for Union Berlin.
- Neuer should have stopped that attempt. Given that, you could feel that maybe this could be one of those inexplicable, frustrating games featured in every season.
- Finally, in the 38th minute, Luis Díaz scored one of the most amazing, tough angle goals you will ever see. It was some Dr. Strange-type wizardry for that ball to go in the net. A truly amazing showing…and Bayern Munich had some momentum to build upon.
- What made the effort more outstanding is that Josip Stanišić’s pass into Díaz was pretty poor and caused Díaz to have to make a sliding stop to prevent the ball from going out of bounds before he went into “Magic Man”-mode. Hey, it’s an assist in the book for Stanišić…
- In all seriousness, this is one of this instances where playing a right-footed player on the left-side can sometimes be an issue. The slight bit of awkwardness resulted in the bad pass, but was ultimately redeemed by the spectacular goal.
- Well, in the 45th minute, Díaz had a breakaway and, well, he stumbled and badly missed his attempt. It should have been a goal…no doubt. The Colombian’s first half performance truly was a microcosm of his career at Bayern Munich so far — incredible highs displaying his talent and baffling misses from easy spots.
- Even in the second half, Union Berlin’s crowd did not skip a beat. They were loud, wild, and fully engaged into the match. It would have been hard for Union Berlin to see its intensity slip with that kind of atmosphere.
- Bayern Munich was battling, but the squad did look tired and a bit sloppy. It has been a tough run of play for the group and while Kompany had good intentions of using his regulars to finish it, you have to wonder if the collective fatigues was just too difficult to overcome. They looked tired and beat up.
- Lennart Karl came in for Serge Gnabry in the 59th minute and this was not just a chance to give the kid some run. Bayern Munich needed a gamechanger to spice things up.
- Michael Olise had a terrific look in the 60th minute, but opted for a near-post attempt when the far-post looked to be the better option. Fatigue can sometimes affect decision-making — and it certainly seemed like Olise had better options than the near-post shot.
- Bayern Munich, however, was starting to ramp up its effort and put pressure on a Union Berlin squad that was starting to bend.
- Leon Goretzka might not want to check out his X mentions after the match. There was a ton of criticism over the midfielder’s lack of willingness to go forward. At a time where Bayern Munich needed to be more assertive going forward, Goretzka often played it too safe. It was not a good game for the midfielder.
- Goretzka missed a 71st minute attempt after taking a nice touch to free himself up. His shot went way high.
- At that point, Union Berlin had finally cooled down and was worn down. Bayern Munich was poised to continue to pour on pressure. The Iron Ones were content to park the bus, though, and shooting lanes were often blocked by bodies.
- Olise did not have a good game. He just was not sharp. If Kompany should explore how to best keep any one player fresh after the break, it is Olise.
- In the 83rd minute, a free kick from Union Berlin into the box resulted in a clearance attempt from Kane, but he fluffed it right to Doekhi for an easy goal in the box. It was 2-1 and you could feel the gut punch Bayern Munich experienced.
- Physical and mental fatigue in these situations is real.
- Union Berlin’s 21-year-old center-back Leopold Querfeld was awesome by the way.
- At the 90’+3’ mark, Tom Bischof who subbed in to play as an outside-back sent a diagonal ball into the box and it was placed perfectly onto the head of Kane, who had an easy finish after a perfect run. What a ball from Bischof to help secure a draw.
- Overall, Bayern Munich was not as focused or intense as Union Berlin on the day. This was bound to happen eventually. While it would have been ideal for this to not happen just ahead of an international break, life will go on. Bayern Munich should have managed this a bit differently and maybe taken into account the mental and physical wear-and-tear the team suffered against PSG. Simply out, Bayern Munich looked tired, but a draw against Union Berlin is certainly not the end of the world.
If you missed our Initial Analysis, Match Awards, Observations, or Postgame Podcast, give them a look or a listen:
LFC likely can’t get both Upamecano, Guéhi (Rousing the Kop)
Liverpool can probably get Bayern Munich’s Dayot Upamecano or Crystal Palace’s Marc Guéhi, but it likely cannot get both:
Dipping into the market is almost guaranteed, whether that be in January or the summer, with Bayern Munich’s Dayot Upamecano and Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi two options.
However, Fabrizio Romano has just suggested that Liverpool will very likely not be able to get both, with their pursuit of one then having a direct impact on the other.
There are some real top centre-back talents available this summer, meaning all the biggest clubs are battling it out for just a few stars.
Upamecano and Guehi are perhaps the pick of the bunch given that they can be signed for free, which is why Liverpool are very keen to get at least one of them.
With that said, should the Reds opt to go for the Frenchman first, then that would leave their pursuit of Guehi in doubt, with Romano confirming that Bayern will try and sign the Palace captain should Upamecano depart.
Bavarian Podcast Works — Weekend Warm-up Show Season 5, Episode 15 (Bavarian Football Works)
Bayern Munich is en fuego, but watching Paris Saint-Germain deal with the pains of trying to repeat in the Champions League can show everyone how difficult it is to stay healthy, be consistent, and catch all of the same breaks.
All of that is a big theme for this edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works — Weekend Warm-up Show! We’ve got a strong lineup of segments and some awesome questions from some dedicated listeners. Catch up on it all right here! This is what we have on tap:
- PSG is showing that it is hard to repeat…and that is why Bayern Munich needs to strike this season.
- Champions League Power Rankings.
- A look at the German national team selections by Julian Nagelsmann. Is he going back into “Mad Scientist Mode?“
- Listener Q&A.
- A quick review of It: Welcome to Derry, episode 2.
Woltemade move was limited by set budget (11FREUNDE as captured by @iMiaSanMia)
Bayern Munich board member for sport Max Eberl says that the Bavarians did want Nick Woltemade, but had a number set aside that it was not willing to exceed.
“Every investment has to pay off in the long run. We had set a cap on the transfer fee for Nick Woltemade and had reached it in our offer to VfB Stuttgart. This is also a common occurrence in transfers and can be a dealbreaker. Nick is still a great player and a great guy, but he’s a different type of player than Florian Wirtz. Ultimately, we wanted to stick to our budget strategy,” said Eberl.
Kimmich thinks Germany is well-stocked at goalkeeper (Welt am Sonntag via @iMiaSanMia)
Joshua Kimmich think that the German national team has good, quality players at the goalkeeper position, even if Manuel Neuer does not ultimately decide to comeback.
“Manu can lead any team. He’s been the best goalkeeper in the world for 20 years. Ultimately, it was his decision to retire, and we all have to respect his decision. Overall, we’re very well equipped in the goalkeeping position; Oliver Baumann has been excellent in recent games,” said Kimmich.
Bavarian Podcast Works — Edges and Underdogs, a BuLi Action Show: Match Day 10 (Bavarian Football Works)
Welcome to Bavarian Podcast Works — Edges and Underdogs, a BuLi Action Show!
This is not your run-of-the-mill gambling show as we are putting more focus on the ins-and-outs of the actual match day’s showdowns, rather than an odds-driven format (but yes, you will get the odds as well). This podcast is for people who watch the Bundesliga intently and who want to dive into some of the big games for each match day. Through that, we will also provide some information that could help those seeking to make a wager or two.
Each week, we will talk through and break down who has the edge, who might be hurting, who is susceptible to being upset, who’s getting hot, and more! This is what we have on tap for this edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works — Edges and Underdogs, a BuLi Action Show:
- Catching up on how we did last week.
- A look at this weekend’s match-ups — including win probability, odds, injury updates, trends, AI predictions, and our predictions as well.
The bottom line…it’s time for some action.
Van Dijk wanted Real move (ESPN)
Liverpool center-back Virgil van Dijk reportedly was desperate for a move to Real Madrid last summer:
Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk “fought until the last minute” to join Real Madrid last summer, Diario AS reports on the day that the two clubs meet at Anfield in the UEFA Champions League. According to the Madrid-based outlet, Van Dijk’s agents made contact with Spanish representatives to try to connect with Madrid, who weren’t interested in a deal. Van Dijk ended up renewing his Liverpool contract in April, with Madrid preferring to pursue other targets — signing Dean Huijsen.
Kleindienst committed to Gladbach through 2029 (Sky Germany Florian Plettenberg)
Borussia Mönchengladbach striker Tim Kleindienst extended his contract with Die Fohlen through 2029, which the club is hoping will help stabilize things for a team that got off to a rough start this season. When Kleindienst is back at full strength, it is not inconceivable to think Gladbach can make a run toward a spot in the top 10 of the league:
🚨🆕 Tim #Kleindienst’s new contract, running until 2029, does not include a release clause. His salary has been slightly increased.
Rouven Schröder wanted this extension to be a statement for the future, aimed at both the supporters and the team @borussia. @SkySportDE
