Bayern Munich welcomed Borussia Dortmund who immediately set about camping in front of their goal and throwing bodies forward once the hosts were tired. It didn’t work as the Bavarians won 2-1 thanks to goals from Harry Kane and Michael Olise, which was enough to cancel a late Julian Brandt scare. What were the takeaways from today’s match?
The extra man
It was clear what kind of football Niko Kovać was planning on playing against his old club. He benched Julian Brandt and brought on Julian Ryerson for Yan Couto,
effectively making his back three into a back five. The plan was clearly sitting back and launch counterattacks. Dortmund lacked precision in Bayern’s box, if they had even gotten as far as that point, but Bayern appear to be mildly frustrated by their inability to finish off chances. Similarly, the Black and Yellows hadso many defenders back that Bayern was not able to execute their gameplan as much as they would’ve liked.
A bit out of sync?
Throughout the first half, some of Bayern’s attackers were mostly one step too late to the press and sometimes get pushed back into their own half by Dortmund. Moreover, Nicolas Jackson did not wait for support when he found himself on the edge of Dortmund’s box, Luis Díaz got dispossessed or ran into three players.
Give Dayot Upamecano that contract right now
There have been discussions on whether Dayot Upamecano deserves a rise and this match is another showcase of the fact that he does earn that new contract. The Frenchman has made numerous blocks and tackles to snuff out any advances made by Dortmund. He is by far the most stable defender at the club.
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