Bayern Munich’s favored game plan (Plan A, if you will) is too much for the majority of football clubs they come up against to handle. The opponents are hemmed in their own half and are pressed to death
as their in possession play and strategies that define them as teams are stripped away. Just look at the 16 game winning streak Bayern has been on to start the season to see how well it works. But there are teams in Europe that very much have the quality to deal with Bayern’s press, push them back and play their own game while forcing Bayern to try and counter their tricks. The question on many critic’s lips was this: Could Bayern still win when their Plan A does not work and they are forced to adapt?
Paris Saint Germain, as reigning Champions League winners, are one of those teams, which was part of the reason why the game was billed to be such a big decider for head coach Vincent Kompany’s Bavarians. Then they also had to play with just 10 men. Luis Díaz got his marching orders at the stroke of half time, which killed their chances to press as they like for an entire 45 minutes. Meaning Plan A was completely unviable.
But they persevered.
This did not escape Kompany’s notice, as he carefully praised his team for their adaptability: “We got three points, which is good. But nobody wins trophies in November. We have to stay calm and focus on the next game,” Kompany emphasized, as captured by @iMiaSanMia, though he did take a little time to praise his team. “We were put in different situations recently and we were there. On Saturday [in the Bundesliga against Bayer Leverkusen] we rotated heavily and the boys were there, today we had to defend with 10 men for 45 minutes and we were there. That gives us a lot of confidence.”
As the season continues and we are nearing the end of the year, the question might now be this: What obstacles have Bayern NOT overcome yet?
Bayern Munich pulled out a wild 2-1 victory in a game that will be talked about quite a bit. So, why don’t we kick it off. This is what we have on tap for this edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works — Postgame Show:
- A look at Bayern Munich’s starting XI selections…who stood out, who struggled, and more.
- A rundown of the scoring and substitutions as we walk through the flow of the match.
- Some final takeaways on the match.
Also, be sure to stay tuned to Bavarian Podcast Works for all of your up to date coverage on Bayern Munich and Germany. Check us out on Patreon and follow us on Twitter @BavarianFBWorks, @BavarianPodcast @TheBarrelBlog, @BFWCyler, @2012nonexistent, @TommyAdams71 and more.
