Die Folgen: Bayern’s 6-2 victory over SC Freiburg (Bavarian Football Works)
Bayern Munich gave fans a scare in falling behind by two goals before ultimately scoring a convincing 6-2 win over SC Freiburg.
The Bavarians shook off the early doldrums and put together a dominant attacking
effort led by the likes of Michael Olise, Lennart Karl, and Harry Kane.
In that order (yes, you read that right). Given how it shook out, let’s get into it, here are some quick hitters on the match:
- As always, let’s begin with the lineup:
- As expected, there were some changes ahead of the Arsenal match on Wednesday. Vincent Kompany opted to rest Joshua Kimmich (ankle) and Serge Gnabry (muscular issue), who were replaced by Aleksandar Pavlović and Lennart Karl. Leon Goretzka started in the midfield as well. Konrad Laimer, whose workload for club and country has been insane, also did not start. An interesting note is that Kompany also opted to keep Nicolas Jackson on the bench. It was a very intriguing set-up, which showed a lot of trust in players like Bischof, Karl, and Pavlović.
- For as much of a fan of Bischof as most are (including the author), it was would be hard to say he was ready for the jump in level at left-back. Coming in as a sub is fine and starting against some of the “lesser-thans” of the league is fine, but the youngster does not have the chops just yet at the position to fully man it properly. He was not terrible or anything, but he does need a lot of work at the position.
- We almost saw some hockey action when SC Freiburg midfielder Johan Manzambi decided to give Michael Olise a two-hand shove in the set-up of a corner. Dayot Upamecano took exception to that and was ready to play the role of enforcer. If you watched, you saw Upamecano’s eyes widen — the exact look a fella might have when he’s about to start throwing haymakers.
- SC Freiburg’s two-goal surge within the first 17 minutes of the game was impressive. In the 12th minute, a low, driven corner from Jan-Niklas Beste (who has a glorious beard) found Matthias Ginter, who flicked it back to Yuito Suzuki for a perfect finish. The flick from Ginter, who had a rough game otherwise, was perfect. On the play, Luis Díaz got caught watching the paint dry.
- Seriously, you could drop Beste in the center of Lancaster County, PA and no one would bat an eye. He should have never made the move to Benfica.
- Five minutes after Suzuki’s goal, Manzambi elevated to beat Upamecano on a header for a goal. However, the score was more on Manuel Neuer, who — oddly — mistimed his jump and was on the way down when Manzambi’s attempt floated just over the goalkeeper’s fingertips.
- We have not seen much of that from Neuer this season. Of course, he was sick for a portion of the week, so he very well could still be slow and/or under the weather.
- At a time where Bayern Munich could have just rolled over and started to focus on Wednesday’s Champions League match vs. Arsenal, the Bavarians pulled themselves up off the mat and began throwing punches.
- Lennart Karl is so difficult to track for defenders. The kid is a pure problem.
- Michael Olise looked totally refreshed and you could see the extra jump in his step as his fantastic footwork and crisp pass (maybe too crisp) to Karl set up Bayern Munich’s first goal. While the vision from Olise was superb, the deft touch from Karl to go from his left to his right-foot was even better.
- Karl is just beyond his years as a player. He has that youthful exuberance that you love to see, but also a fearless nature that you cannot teach. That way he was solely focused on the team getting more goals after he scored was very mature.
- What growth Karl has made already…what might he look like in May (and no, we are not talking about that mustache coming in a little thicker)?
- Bayern Munich had trouble getting Kane involved early on, but he would assert himself more as the game went on. SC Freiburg was paying a lot of attention to the Englishman, whose movement on Karl’s goal opened up the space for Olise to make the pass.
- Karl would return the favor to Olise by sending him a ball into a tight window, with the Frenchman ripping a shot to knot the game at 2-2.
- Goretzka and Pavlović were not at their best in the first half as SC Freiburg applied a lot of pressure on the midfielders.
- It was not the most solid game for the backline. While SC Freiburg’s damage was done on set pieces, there were still moments of unnecessary scrambling and what looked like poor communication. It was not awful (especially considering the starting group), but you would like to see a less steep drop-off.
- That said, Laimer needed a break, so it was good to see him get some downtime (before eventually entering as a sub).
- In the second half, Olise delivered a great ball into the box during a corner and Upamecano (!?) snuck in (how does he sneak anywhere?), and had a pretty awesome finish. All of a sudden, it was 3-2 and Julian Schuster’s team was spent.
- Olise had a hell of a game. Ultimately, the Frenchman would end up involved in five of the six goals; but it was more than just production. The player, who looked a bit lethargic before the break, had a renewed vigor, which made him near-impossible to defend.
- On the other hand, Díaz might have had his worst game as a member of Bayern Munich. That travel schedule is no joke.
- Kane would get a goal in the 60th minute after some nice work from his teammates. In a bit of luck, though, a bouncing ball found its way to Kane, who smashed it home for a 4-2 lead.
- Karl leaving the match was a scare, but he is saying that he is okay. Ditto for Upamecano.
- Olise’s 78th minute set-up of Nicolas Jackson’s goal was just a sensational display of individual play.
- Olise capped the scoring off with a Arjen Robben-esque cut-in to make it 6-2. The goal came after a long switch of play from Hiroki Itō, who made a triumphant return.
- Poor Max Eggestein.
- Overall, Bayern Munich showed some toughness and resilience against a motivated SC Freiburg squad. The intensity will heighten against Arsenal, though. Can Bayern Munich ramp it back up for Wednesday?
If you missed our Initial Analysis, Match Awards, Observations, or Postgame Podcast, give them a look or a listen:
Stiller prefers Real (Defensa Central via ESPN)
Former Bayern Munich prospect Angelo Stiller was left off of Julian Nagelsmann’s latest call-up sheet for the German national team, but it seems like he is still impressing Real Madrid. One report indicates that Stiller — if given the choice — would prefer a move to Real Madrid over Manchester United:
VfB Stuttgart defensive midfielder Angelo Stiller would prefer to join Real Madrid over Manchester United.
Stiller got off to a slow start this season, but seems to have picked it up of late. It will be interesting to see if he sticks with VfB Stuttgart after this season.
Freund talks Alaba…and a potential return to Bayern? (Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg)
Bayern Munich sporting director Christoph Freund was asked about David Alaba’s work with the Austrian national team…and a possible return to Bavaria:
🚨💬 Bayern’s sporting director Christoph Freund on Sky about David #Alaba and his role under Ralf Rangnick:
“Even off the pitch he is a really good lad who does a lot of integration work on and off the field (…) He was always involved, including at the Euro‘s, supporting the team from the bench. He is an important point of contact for the coach, for this team, for the captain. At the moment, as a playing assistant coach, he is a hugely important factor.”
A return to FC Bayern, in whatever role, conceivable?
“There are no plans yet. But he shaped FC Bayern massively during his time here, he is a great lad and an intelligent guy who will also find a good path after his playing career. But he still wants to play football for a while and take part in the World Cup with Austria.”
His contract at Real Madrid is expiring and is very unlikely to be extended.
Despite some consternation over his exit from the club, Alaba is still a club favorite internally and with fans. It would not be shocking to see him land in some role at Bayern Munich in the future.
Spurs eyeing Rodrygo, Yildiz (ESPN)
Tottenham Hotspur is reportedly keeping close tabs on Real Madrid’s Rodrygo and Juventus star Kenan Yildiz:
Tottenham Hotspur want to sign a winger as part of ambitious plans for the January and summer transfer windows, with Real Madrid’s Rodrygo and Juventus’ Kenan Yildiz among the players being considered, according to TEAMtalk. Spurs have been looking at Rodrygo for some time but are likely to face competition from the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool, while Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea are also reported to be admirers of Yildiz.
BVB could look to bring Sancho back…again (Football Insider via ESPN)
Borussia Dortmund might try to bring Jadon Sancho back…AGAIN! Sancho just has never been as good as he was at BVB:
Borussia Dortmund are keen to bring in Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho, who is on loan at Aston Villa, for a third time.
Honestly, Manchester United should just do this move if Sancho wants it.
Barca still wants Kane (ESPN)
FC Barcelona is not giving up on its dream acquisition of Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane:
Barcelona have lined up Harry Kane and Julián Álvarez as potential replacements for 37-year-old striker Robert Lewandowski, who is out of contract in the summer, according to Mundo Deportivo. Barcelona’s pursuit of Kane in particular is said to have been gaining traction in recent weeks, following his remarkable start to the season and the presence of a €65 million release clause in the 32-year-old’s contract. Atlético Madrid striker Álvarez, 25, meanwhile, is viewed as a more difficult target as he is under contract until the summer of 2030 and his transfer could cost around €100m. Alongside a goal-scoring forward, Barca are also expected to be in the market for a new left back next summer, with Bayer Leverkusen’s Alejandro Grimaldo a strong contender.
It seems really unlikely, but hey, shooters gotta shoot, eh?
