Hungry for success once again after big win at Holstein Kiel

Harry Kane walked off with the match ball tucked under his arm – yet another one to add to his already vast collection. A hat-trick for him, three wins on the bounce and finally top of the league again – it was a wonderful Saturday evening for himself and for Bayern in every regard. The 6-1 win against newly promoted Holstein Kiel was clinical, energetic and has caused a stir.

Our goalscorer leads the way in the Bundesliga goalscoring charts with four goals. And the Englishman has now been directly involved in 50 goals in his 35 Bundesliga games. Since detailed data collection began in 2004/05, no other player has managed 50 goal contributions in so few games. He’s in top form ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League opener against Dynamo Zagreb (fixture list). And it’s not just him, but his teammates too.

“We won this game, let’s keep going”, summarised FCB coach Vincent Kompany in a matter-of-fact way. Of course, he couldn’t hide a certain satisfaction either. After all, things went pretty smoothly for his team.

With goals from Jamal Musiala, Kane, a Nicolai Remberg own goal and Michael Olise, it was a convincing victory. Armin Gigović scored a late consolation goal for the hosts.

Many positives from game

Kompany had emphasised beforehand that it depends on how his team attacks. In hindsight, it can now be said that they attacked – and how! The counter-pressing was tight, the chance conversion top, the positional work was perfect, and the fluidity on the wings and in the centre was so good that the Storks were chasing shadows.

Manuel Neuer said what everyone who was watching in the Holstein-Stadion and on TV was thinking: “We’ve got our winning mentality back.” This is a characteristic that the team currently embodies. “We’re not going to rest on our laurels now, we’ll keep going,” added Neuer.

This attitude is 100 percent correct and creates an optimism around the challenges up ahead. “We have a good squad and just have to keep going,” said Kompany.

Kompany’s vision working

His mark on the team is becoming ever clearer. The players are on board too and are consistently implementing his style.

The tempo with which Bayern bore down on Kiel’s goal repeatedly throughout the game was outstanding. Numbers such as 45 touches in the opposition penalty area compared to Kiel’s nine, and 23 shots on goal to Kiel’s five, speak volumes. As does the 70 percent possession. FCB played 800 passes in this match – their best output in the Bundesliga since the start of last season.

“First and foremost, it’s important for us to win our games. That helps our development,” stated Joshua Kimmich. Neuer explained why this is particularly important at this early stage of the season: “No title contender takes their foot off the gas. We’re doing our job now.”

The aim is now to transfer this performance into the first game in the new format of the Champions League. Zagreb will be a difficult opponent at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday.

Kompany’s decision-making on Saturday also came in handy in keeping an eye on this fixture. The schedule is packed and the demands in every competition are high.

“If the result is good at half-time, I can make changes earlier. But the changes weren’t made only to give the players a rest. It was also to signal to those players who are currently doing well, but who weren’t in the starting XI,” said Kompany.

His message was clear: the road this season will not be straightforward, but every player is and remains important to the team.

Reaction to the resounding victory in Kiel: