Bayern Munich is getting humbled so far in Norway.
With Bayern Munich trailing Viking FK 2-0 in the Champions League, the Bavarians are being outplayed in just about every meaningful attacking metric. This is not simply a case of a couple of unfortunate moments or an opponent scoring against the run of play. The numbers paint a picture of a Bayern Munich side struggling to impose itself on a match it was expected to control.
FC Bayern has enjoyed 73% possession compared to Viking’s 27%, and the shot
count is just as lopsided: 13 attempts for Bayern Munich against only three for the Norwegian side. Bayern has also registered four shots on target, narrowly ahead of Viking’s three.
Let those numbers sink in for a moment.
Viking has also won the corner battle 7-2, while both teams have created one big chance. Bayern Munich completed 82 passes at 67% accuracy, compared to Viking’s 310 at 90%. That is an extraordinary difference in control and composure, even for a team willing to concede possession and attack on the break.
The expected goals figures underline the bizarre nature of the scoreline. Bayern has generated 1.20 xG, while Viking has managed just 0.31. Bayern has also recorded 29 touches in the opposition box compared to Viking’s six, and seven corners to Viking’s two. On paper, Bayern Munich has done far more to threaten the goal.
So, what is going wrong? For all its possession and attacking activity, Bayern Munich has not been clinical enough to turn its opportunities into goals. Viking, meanwhile, has made its chances count, punishing Bayern and putting itself in a commanding position with remarkably little of the ball.
Bayern Munich controlling the game means very little when the scoreboard tells a completely different story.
The defensive concerns are alarming for the Bavarians. Viking found space, reached dangerous areas, and forced Bayern Munich to spend far too much time reacting rather than dictating the game. The first goal was a product of Viking defender Gianni Stensness out-leaping Bayern Munich center-backs Kim Min-jae and Jonathan Tah to head home a perfect delivery on a corner from Zlatko Tripić.
The second Viking goal, scored by Peter Christiansen in the 38th minute, has left Bayern with a mountain to climb as the attacker raced away from Nathaniel Brown for a relatively easy finish.
Of course, there is still time for a comeback. Bayern Munich has the individual quality to turn this around, and writing off a team with Harry Kane, Michael Olise, and Luis Díaz would be foolish. But the Bavarians need a serious response after the break.
This is not the kind of Champions League performance anybody expected from Bayern Munich. The second half needs to look very different, because right now, the Bavarians are making a historic night for Viking look far too easy.
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