Die Folgen: Bayern’s 3-1 win over Leipzig (Bavarian Football Works)
Bayern Munich clinched another preseason trophy (we know, we know) as it secured a 3-1 victory over RB Leipzig to capture the prestigious Telekom Cup.
It was a very interesting game for the Bavarians, who did a little experimenting with personnel and the formation. Let’s take a look at how it all played out. Here are some quick hitters on the match:
- As always, let’s begin with a look at the starting XI:
- Vincent Kompany went with a mixed bag of a lineup, but was mostly comprised of returnees, but did also include newcomer Nathaniel Brown and youngster Tim Binder. Binder is a real live wire, but definitely needs some refining.
- Binder’s fearlessness is a great thing, but he does have to find a way to properly balance when to take his chances. He is surely a player with some potential, who could be another hidden gem from Bayern Munich’s academy. If he can be a little more sure on the ball and keep that attacking mindset, he could be a real player to watch develop.
- Of course, no Bayern Munich game can ever just be easy. Konrad Laimer picked up a knock seven minutes into the game and had to exit. Sacha Boey came on and replaced him.
- It was an interesting decision from Kompany as he rolled out a 4-3-3, but it likely did not go the way he wanted it to. Tom Bischof completed 97% of his passes and only lost possession seven times, but his impact was minimal as the squad lacked cohesion in the formation.
- Both teams had some jump early on as RB Leipzig was clearly looking to prove that it had the chops to hang with the reigning league champions.
- Luckily for Bayern Munich, it had Luis Díaz, who was able to put the Bavarians up 1-0 in the 13th minute. Binder created a little chaos with a pass that was broken up, but a fortuitous bounced after a failed clearance landed right to the Colombian’s foot.
- As expected, with a different formation and some new players, it was not always picture perfect, but it was admirable that the players were willing to get after it like they did.
- There were some folks unhappy about Bayern Munich’s play, but it was an exhibition game in August with a mixed bag lineup and a different formation. This was fine. It is a World Cup year and Bayern Munich did not have Harry Kane, Michael Olise, or Dayot Upamecano — and it is not as if RB Leipzig is a pushover.
- Nathaniel Brown was consistently solid for Bayern Munich at left-back throughout the game. Brown won three of his five ground duels and completed 96% of his passes, but maybe more impressively, only lost possession four times in 69 minutes. That is an extremely efficient game for the newcomer.
- Brajan Gruda scored for RB Leipzig in the 52nd minute on a volley after a nice cross from Max Finkgräfe, but Gruda was a little sloppy with the ball. The 22-year-old still has that great potential, but definitely needs to improve his decision-making.
- In the 57th minute Bayern Munich retook the lead when Aleksandar Pavlović threaded a perfect pass to Brown, who showed he could do it at both ends with a goal.
- The heat was really taking a toll on both teams. Kim Min-jae, Jamal Musiala, and Sacha Boey all eventually looked as if they had to deal with heat-related ailments. Get these boys hydrated!
- In the 81st minute, some really nifty dribbling and ball control from Ismael Saibari allowed the Moroccan newcomer to find Musiala for a goal. It was a really great moment for both players. As stated above, Musiala would have to leave the game a few minutes later, but that had to feel good for the Germany international.
- Overall, Bayern Munich took care of business again despite battling a good team and some adversity. It is key to learn things about a squad and experiment a bit in the preseason. Kompany took some chances and some of those landed better than others, but it was worth it. This squad has better attacking depth than in the past and its backline looks solid. Right now, it the midfield can pull its weight, Bayern Munich appears to be in a very strong position to start the season. On to the next friendly vs. Heidenheim.
If you missed our Initial Analysis, Match Awards, or Observations, give them a look:
Spurs want Gakpo (ESPN)
Tottenham Hotspur seems to be getting more serious about a move for Liverpool attacker Cody Gakpo:
Tottenham Hotspur have registered formal interest in Cody Gakpo to Liverpool, kicking off the process to try and sign the forward, Voetbal International’s Joost Blaauwhof reports. Gakpo has his lowest scoring return in his three seasons at Liverpool last term, netting just nine goals in all competitions, although he also scored three goals in four appearances for Netherlands at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The 27-year-old has a contract at Anfield until 2030.
Beware the Ides of Nags? (Barca Universal)
Hansi Fick could be toying with a striker-less system for FC Barcelona:
While Barca will almost assuredly ink a new striker, at least Gordon and Adeyemi have some experiencing playing the No. 9 position. Still, it does not feel like either is suited to play it over the course of a full season. Who knows, though? It just cannot be as bad as Julian Nagelsmann’s little experiment during his second season in Bavaria.
Kane’s extension slotted to run through 2029 (Sport Bild’s Christian Falk)
Bayern Munich and Harry Kane seem set for an extension that will run through 2029:
✅ It is TRUE: Harry Kane is set to commit to a contract extension until 2029 at the earliest. As I mentioned previously – before The Times’ recent report on the subject – both sides were very clear: there is no idea to just extend Kane’s contract by a year. Both sides knew that the new contract would run until 2029 at a bare minimum. Perhaps there will be an opportunity to add another year on top. Kane, of course, is at such an age that Bayern can’t commit to a five-year contract. Normally, for players of the Englishman’s age, they usually just give one year, but this case is an exception.
For an indication of just how important Harry Kane is to Bayern Munich, by the way, I should mention that the club really wants to make a big deal of him winning the Golden Boot last term. There are plans in place to host a big show (shared on the club’s streaming platform) at Säbener Straße next week, and to honour Harry Kane in the Bayern museum in the stadium. So, you see, they want to do everything they can to show their appreciation for Kane, to keep him happy in Munich, and, of course, to encourage him to sign a new contract. Everyone hopes he will sign it!
Everyone can agree that a contract until 2029 would be best for both sides, so now it’s just a question of how much money they will offer in salary. I can confirm that Bayern Munich are very clear that they’re not going to offer Harry Kane less than what he’s currently on. So, with that in mind, I think the negotiations won’t be particularly lengthy.
When we start to see so many stories pointing to the same info, it either happens — or flames out into a complete mess. Let’s root for the former, not the latter.
Visual shows Bayern’s ownership structure (DW Sports)
With all the talk of Bayern Munich selling a 5% stake of the team, this might help people understand what the structure looks like in visual format for those unfamiliar:
For Americans, the 50+1 rule and ownership structures for German clubs is a foreign idea (no pun intended) and differs from the sports we have over here. Perhaps, this help a bit.
Koundé could leave Barca this summer (ESPN)
FC Barcelona star Jules Koundé could be on the move:
Jules Koundé could leave Barcelona this summer, should an offer come in for the defender in the final few weeks of the transfer window, according to Mundo Deportivo. The report says that an exit cannot be ruled out for the France international. Arsenal, Manchester City, and Liverpool have been among the clubs credited with interest in the 27-year-old, who made 47 appearances last season for Barcelona.
Bayern Munich has been linked to Koundé, but a move for the defender seems really unlikely at this stage for the Bavarians.
ICYMI: Immobile retires (Transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano)
A prolific goal scorer in his time, Ciro Immobile has retired:
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…
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