All hope was lost.
After conceding three goals in the first half and producing exactly zero shots on goal, Bayern looked dead in the water at the halftime whistle. Instead, Harry Kane, Michael Olise, and Jamal Musiala entered the fray to score second half goals and lead Bayern to a frenzied 4-3 win to preserve the undefeated streak of road matches.
All hope is restored.
The future starters
This is the perfect type of game late in the season that proves invaluable toward the development of young players who will grow into
their roles at the club. It’s a bummer that Tom Bischof, Lennart Karl, Wisdom Mike, Cassiano Kiala, and David Daiber were all unavailable due to injury.
Jonas Urbig
On all three Mainz goals, Urbig made a solid save along with an inexperienced mistake. On the positive side, Urbig blocked the original attempts on all three goals that Bayern conceded. On the negative side, Urbig failed to clear the ball out of a dangerous area. Urbig will learn from these mistakes on his path to becoming the starting goalkeeper.
On the first goal, Urbig punched away the corner kick only for Guerreiro and Jackson to avoid the rebound and allow an immediate cross to an unmarked player. On the second goal, Urbig deflected the shot right back in front of the net where Paul Nebel outhustled Bayern’s entire backline. On the third goal, Urbig’s diving save sent the shot off the crossbar but Sheraldo Becker beat Kim Min-jae and Hiroki Itō to the easy tap-in.
Baro Sapoko Ndiaye
Ndiaye showcased a lot of potential, although he is probably better suited in an attacking role rather than playing as a defensive midfielder. He has a quick first touch, constantly scans the space around him, and rarely places a poor pass. He proved that he is comfortable with the pace of first division European football. He should see a lot of playing time over the next month with a very good chance of staying on the senior squad as a rotational player next season.
The expiring contracts
Despite decent performances as of late, Nicolas Jackson, Leon Goretzka, and Raphaël Guerreiro showcased why each individual is not playing at Bayern’s level at this point in their respective careers.
Nicolas Jackson
Jackson tried to play the same role as Harry Kane in the first half, moving around the pitch to open up possession. The problem is that Jackson’s vision and precision is nowhere near the quality of Kane, often resulting in poor spacing or high risk, low reward turnovers that played directly into Mainz’s compact defensive plan. Even on Jackson’s goal, it was a very hesitant volley that should have been saved by the goalkeeper.
Leon Goretzka
Sporting the captain’s armband in the first half, Goretzka spent most of the match lightly jogging around the pitch as the central attacking midfielder. 18-year old Bara Sapoko Ndiaye dropped more into possession and defense while Goretzka played the role of bystander, often caught standing next to Jackson for no particular benefit.
Raphaël Guerreiro
Guerreiro was instrumental against Stuttgart and St. Pauli, channeling his inner Thomas Müller to open up space and passing lanes for his teammates. As a right winger today, Guerreiro was a bit out of sorts and his sloppy turnover directly led to a Mainz goal in the first half.
The winning mentality
The past decade at Bayern has been characterized by an inconsistent playing style punctuated by a slew of coaching changes and short-term squad planning from the management team. It was a bit of a “chicken and the egg” situation, but no coach has survived a full 24 months since Pep Guardiola. Obviously, the solution was hiring a young coach who just led his team into relegation.
Vincent Kompany
Vincent Kompany accepted the increasingly undesirable manager position at Bayern and absolutely thrived. He simplified the tactics, solidified the locker room, and brought joy back to the pitch. With a 3-0 deficit on the road and the title already in hand, most managers would have mailed in the second half and turned the focus toward Tuesday’s first leg against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday.
“Screw that,” said Kompany (probably). “Send on Harry Kane and Michael Olise. If we score quickly, double down and send on Jamal Musiala.”
Today’s four-goal explosion in the second half will be another notch in Kompany’s belt when historians chronicle this treble-winning season.
Kompany does not want to concede a single match. He does not care about the opponent, the competition, the circumstances, or the optics. His club wants to win. His players want to win. He wants to win.
Bayern wins.
If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor…
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