Bayern Munich scored five goals against Norwegian underdogs FK Bodø/Glimt. The rust in the Bavarians was evident as they struggled to build rhythm. The second half turned out to be a much better affair as Vincent Kompany’s men found their feet and blew their opponents away.
Alphonso Davies, Joshua Kimmich and Michael Olise were frontrunners who woke the rest of the team up with their individual brilliance and finally reaped their rewards in the second half with deserved goals and assists. Luis Diaz
had an off day and was perhaps the only starter who couldn’t pick himself up before the end of the game.
Without further ado, here are the match awards from Bayern Munich’s first game and first victory of the Champions League season.
Jersey Swap: Nobody
While Bodø/Glimt as a unit were fantastic in capitalizing on Bayern’s rustiness by isolating the attackers, they failed to make scoresheet gains. In Bayern’s emphatic attempts to crack the Bodø code, there were a few vulnerabilities especially early into the game. With some more numbers, the Norwegians could have sneaked at least one goal. Helmersen’s shot at Neuer’s open goal was a brave lone effort from his pressing.
Nonetheless, Kjetil Knutsen and his team deserve a shoutout for executing a great low-block. Nikita Haikin, the starting goalkeeper made some important saves and kept the game even. Unfortunately, he had to leave the pitch after the first half due to injury.
Der Kaiser: Alphonso Davies
Alphonso Davies looked great and that in itself is something special. Since his return from ACL injury the Canadian hasn’t looked 100 percent. By that, I mean his general agility and the spring in his step. Against Bodø/Glimt, he looked in much better shape and comfortable making runs and turns. It is a great sign for Bayern as Davies brings a critical edge to the high pressing backline.
With the Canadian looking comfortable and rapid, he was the primary channel on the left wing to stretch the Bodø defenders to go wide. Luis Diaz had an off day and Davies picked up the slack for his partner from Colombia. In defense, Davies was vital to handle the highline as he made three interceptions and a tackle.
His goal in the 77th minute came as a result of his anticipation to catch the rebounds as Bayern kept knocking on Bodø‘s door. Davies made a perfect connection and his blasted the ball into goal.
Fußballgott: Joshua Kimmich
Joshua Kimmich was a key presence for his team. He dominated his opponents with superior vision and control of the game. While the attackers had a tough time stitching together meaningful movements, Kimmich repeatedly set his team him to keep going at the opponent.
He paired his sensational through passes with an unbelievable shot in the 35th minute on his weaker foot. The ball narrowly missed the goal and ricocheted off the post. He led the way in prompting his teammates to take more shots. The German had a brilliant game outside of a blunder in the 67th minute when Andreas Helmersen stole the ball from Kimmich and took a shot at Neuer’s open goal.
Despite that, Kimmich looked like his pre-Covid self with the audacity of his through passes, accuracy of lobbed passes into the box and initiative to take shots from outside the box.
Der Bomber: Jamal Musiala
Jamal Musiala had a strong comeback after recent health hiccups. He was the ideal candidate on Bayern’s roster to bypass the Bodø wall. His mesmerizing footwork in the 40th minute beat two defenders before goalie Nikita Haikin saved a superb effort from the German.
Bayern’s chemistry clicked into place in the second half as the Bavarian rondo beat the Bodø shield and Musiala got at the end of the play in front of goal. Despite shooting from a narrow angle, the attacker put power and precision behind the shot to score his team’s first goal of the game and the UCL campaign.
Meister of the Match: Michael Olise
Michael Olise had a perfect game tonight or as close as it can get to perfect. He started off strong with his dribbling and earned his rewards towards the end of the game. The Frenchman was an elusive customer for the Bodø defense. Despite the best efforts of the visitors, Michael Olise weaved his magic and confounded his markers on several occasions.
Both his goals were signature left footed strikes of Olise with the second goal cleverly wrapped around the defender standing in the way. The diving Julian Faye Lund could not stop Bayern’s fifth goal of the night.
Olise stood out for creating chances and taking shots when the rest of the team’s productivity was relatively dry. It was as if Olise was unbothered by whatever was holding back several of his teammates. With two goals and an assist the winger was Bayern’s most lethal and least stoppable weapon on the pitch.
It is to be noted that as the game neared its end not only had Bayern figured out the Bodø defense but visitors were no longer as committed to shielding their penalty area which amplified Bayern’s attack.
Michael Olise thrives at the CAM position when the opponent is not cramping the space and the there is sufficient space and visible passing channels. Against low-blocks, Olise does better at the wing where he can stretch out packed defensive lines and create openings.
Honorable Mentions
Harry Kane
The England Captain was surprisingly quiet for much of the game. The number 9 who likes to play anywhere on the pitch was largely in the striker’s zone. Bodø did well to cut off service to the big man and isolate him. HK still managed to find a goal with a header off Kimmich’s cross and get himself on the scoresheet.
Dayot Upamecano
A clean game from the Frenchman. There was a half mistake from him, but other wise he stayed focused and did not allow much in the way of counter attacks. He remains Bayern’s undisputed leader in defense.
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