Bayern gain momentum for challenges ahead

Vincent Kompany couldn’t help but smile briefly as he walked over to Maurice Krattenmacher after the final whistle, put him in a headlock on the pitch and gave the Elversberg goalscorer a very firm pat on the head. A bit of a telling-off, in a friendly sort of way, as if to say: “Did it really have to be against us of all teams?”

Krattenmacher, the former Bayern youth player who transferred to Elversberg this summer, had earlier given the record champions a nasty shock at the under-construction Ursapharm-Arena with his stunning goal into the top corner to level the score temporarily. Overall, the hosts hadn’t exactly made life easy for Bayern, but in the end it was a deserved 2-1 victory for the men from Munich.

No doubting the quality

“Elversberg performed well in all areas. They were very brave, and the goalkeeper’s role was also a little different from what you might see with other teams. All in all, we played against a tough opponent and are ultimately pleased with these three points,” Kompany summed up.

Bayern dominated proceedings, weathered the setback and ultimately found the right response through goals in either half from Lennart Karl and Harry Kane. The performance on Matchday 3 showed quite clearly that the quality is there in the team and our style of play is solid. The next step remains to convert this dominance into clearer results with even greater consistency at times.

For even though the result was a close one, many of the statistics were once again heavily in Bayern’s favour. Numbers such as 71.9 percent possession, 822 passes, 528 passes in the opposition’s half and 306 passes in the final third showed just how much the Munich side dominated the game for long periods. Added to this were 28 attempts on goal, six shots on target, 68 touches in the Elversberg penalty area and an expected goals (xG) figure of 2.42. Bayern certainly made their presence felt.

And yet Elversberg kept themselves in the game for a long time. This was because Bayern failed to capitalise on their dominance early enough. Some passes into the attacking third were too imprecise, and certain situations were not played out with enough determination. The hosts defended – just like Schalke did the previous weekend – in a compact manner and played without fear of the big names. “We weren’t as sharp in the challenges as we usually are,” Kompany lamented.

Going back to the Schalke game, Bayern failed to get the win despite their overwhelming dominance. They responded strongly in the Champions League against Bodø/Glimt, with their patience paying off with goals after the break. They secured another victory at Elversberg, but this match also highlighted that opponents who boldly push forward on the counter-attack and have the home crowd behind them as a boost should be neutralised earlier on in the game.

Fresh impetus off the bench

Finding the right balance will continue to be a challenge for Kompany. How much patience is the right amount? When is it time for a more direct, more pragmatic approach? The reaction to the equaliser was crucial. Kompany brought on Joshua Kimmich, Luis Díaz, Alphonso Davies and Jamal Musiala, and the pressure increased significantly.

“The lesson for us is that we won, but also that things can be dangerous with a little less. You have to give 100 percent in every match. After going 1-0 up, we sat back a bit too much; after the score was 1-1, we had to do more,” acknowledged board member for sport Max Eberl.

Michael Olise also hit the crossbar, whilst Kane was on hand to score the winning goal in that inimitable style that makes him so valuable to this team. It was his first Bundesliga goal of the season, his 99th goal in his 97th Bundesliga appearance, and already his 150th goal in his 153rd competitive match for Bayern.

“It doesn’t matter who starts or comes off the bench – everyone needs to be ready to give 110 percent. You saw that today when the guys came on. We had more energy, were more direct in our one-v-ones and in the end had many more opportunities. At the end of the day, we take the win and move on,” Kane added.

It was a special afternoon for Kimmich in particular as he made his 500th competitive appearance for Bayern, drawing level with Bastian Schweinsteiger in the club’s all-time rankings. His record consists of 47 goals, 122 assists and countless matches in which he brought structure and charisma to Bayern. The fact that Kompany brought him on after the equaliser underlined precisely how valuable he is. In tight moments, Bayern need players who can immediately bring more organisation to a match.

The broader trend remains remarkably stable in any case. Bayern have lost just one of their last 31 competitive matches, with 25 wins and five draws. The resources are there. They enjoy plenty of possession, create chances regularly, and their quality of play is plain to see – as is their willingness to bounce back immediately after setbacks. The champions remain a tough side to beat and have taken clear pointers on what they can work on in the coming weeks.

Important for coming weeks

“It was certainly a very important win for us and, more generally, for our confidence in the coming weeks,” said goalscorer Karl, looking ahead.

There is one more fixture before the prolonged international break, coming at home against Union Berlin on Friday. Bayern will be looking to continue their success at the Allianz Arena and to reflect their dominance even more clearly on the scoreboard.

Get more reaction from the game in Elversberg: