The secret behind Bayern’s sustained dominance

Only 97 seconds had been played when Michael Olise cut inside from the right for the first time and tested Frederik Rønnow in the Union Berlin goal to set the tone for what was to become a truly exhilarating evening in front of 75,000 fans at the Allianz Arena. Just a few hours before the opening of the 191st Oktoberfest, Bayern – in their colourful special-edition kits – were not simply playing for victory against Union. They developed a rhythm all of their own, combining pressure, pace and enjoyment to which the visitors had virtually nothing to offer in response. The final score was a near-dizzying 7-0 – yet that figure alone was not the most impressive aspect of this thrilling Bundesliga home victory. It was the fact that Bayern’s impressive hunger for goals remained insatiable right up until the final whistle.

“We’re obviously really happy with this wonderful win. Now the fans can head to Oktoberfest. It’s a nice gift for them,” beamed Vincent Kompany afterwards, before also pointing out, “You saw today how much the guys chased after every ball.”

Union had initially set up in a compact formation and allowed hardly any space in the opening minutes. Bayern countered the defensive block with high tempo and quick movement of the ball. The Bundesliga champions ended up pushing the Berlin wall deeper and deeper into their own half. In the opening quarter of an hour, Kompany’s team already had 73 percent possession and 41.6 percent of the play took place in the visitors’ final third.

The first goal was therefore only to be expected but at the same time symbolic of Bayern’s performance. Alphonso Davies won the ball back through counter-pressing, played a superb one-two to get past his opponents and found Jamal Musiala. Musiala fired it cleanly into the far corner with his right foot at high speed. Bayern’s second shot on goal had already found the back of the Union net.

‘A great feeling’

“It takes a lot of work for a win like this. We showed that today and put in a lot of energy until the final minute,” said the opening goalscorer. It was definitely an important moment for him as he got to play 90 minutes for the first time in several months. “Every game is a step forward. I know there’s still steps ahead, but it’s a great feeling being on the pitch for 90 minutes again.”

After falling behind, the Berliners couldn’t get a foothold in Munich. Whenever they won the ball, the visitors couldn’t push forward. Instead, they were pressed so hard that Rønnow was repeatedly forced to clear the ball into no man’s land. Even Manuel Neuer played his part in the Bavarian dominance, for example when the goalkeeper sprinted far out of his box and cleared the ball with a sliding tackle almost on the halfway line after 32 minutes. He then distributed the ball skilfully, like a defensive midfielder.

Kane’s history, Olise takes centre stage

Bayern’s dominance was far from merely numbers. The Munich side created chances, at times tore Union apart with crosses, runs behind the defence and combination play, and finally capitalised on the moment when the Berliners’ organisation broke down as Olise danced past Tom Rothe in the penalty area, was fouled – penalty.

Harry Kane’s spot-kick was powerful and well placed into the left-hand corner, scoring his 100th goal in his 98th Bundesliga match – faster than any player before him. After the break, the striker even added his 101st goal when Joshua Kimmich shifted the play with one of his many precise passes to Olise, who delivered a perfect cross into the penalty area for Kane to meet with his head and make it 4-0.

‘Performance was at the highest level’

“I’m very proud to have now scored 101 Bundesliga goals – especially in the short time I’ve been here,” said Kane. “When I play alongside players like Michael, Lucho [Luis Díaz] and Jamal, I get my chances. That was the case again today.” The Englishman also reflected on the team’s performance: “We’ve been waiting for a game like this this season. Our performance was at the highest level from start to finish.”

But the evening belonged above all to Olise. The Frenchman had already scored the third goal shortly before half-time, after Musiala had laid the ball back following a free-kick into the box. Olise then took full advantage, coolly slotting the ball into the right-hand corner with his left foot without a moment’s hesitation. Following Kane’s second goal, the winger continued to put on a personal show as he bagged his first senior club hat-trick.

Always a step ahead

But our No.17 wasn’t just outstanding because of his finishing. Olise made decisions long before Union saw them coming. For the sixth goal, he bamboozled poor Rønnow, who appeared to be expecting a chip, and instead went round him to fire into the net off the inside of the post. For the seventh, Olise was once again two steps ahead following a one-two with Tom Bischof. His shot from 20 metres arrowed into the top corner to put the finishing touch to his hat-trick. Coach Kompany subsequently highlighted the work behind Olise’s extraordinary moments: “Obviously Michael scored those goals, but he’s done a lot of work on those shots in training. Top players also need more than talent. There’s a lot of hard work behind it.”

The key difference compared to a typical rout became apparent after the score reached 3-0. Bayern did not take their foot off the gas. Not even after it became 4-0. Nor after it reached 5-0. The statistics underline Bayern’s overwhelming dominance: 23-3 shots, 15-2 shots on target, 55-5 touches in the opposition’s penalty area and 3.77-0.34 expected goals. Union did not manage a single shot in the first half and failed to register another shot on target after the 51st minute.

Counter-pressing remained Bayern’s driving force. As soon as Union won the ball, the Munich side pressed forward with full energy until they’d regained possession. Rothe summed up this quality from a Berlin perspective: “That’s just Bayern – they don’t stop. They always want to keep going, even running to take throw-ins. That’s just their mentality. We tried, but in the end they were just better.” Berlin’s captain, Christopher Trimmel, also acknowledged FCB’s superiority: “In Munich, you simply don’t stand a chance.” Union had tried to keep Bayern out of the penalty area, but then “they just score with shots from outside the box”. The Berliners had failed not only because of Bayern’s individual quality, but also because of the combination of pace, technical skill and constant pressure.

A show until the end

The substitutes, too, slotted seamlessly into this attacking line-up. Ismael Saibari scored his first Bundesliga goal for Bayern following an assist from Davies, whilst Bischof set up two. In the closing stages, Saibari, Musiala and Olise formed a fluid front three behind the returning Serge Gnabry as even in stoppage time, Bayern were still looking for their eighth goal. It actually went in but was disallowed for offside. It was ultimately a mere footnote on a hugely impressive evening, but even that non-goal perfectly illustrated the insatiable hunger for goals of a team brimming with joy and passion for the game.

Into the Oktoberfest spirit

It was the ideal way to set the tone ahead of the opening of Oktoberfest on Saturday. It was Union Berlin, however, who were left with the hangover. From Bayern’s perspective, the only downside to a thrilling evening of football was the upcoming international break. This means no less than three weeks without action before we can once again marvel at this inspiring team and their hunger for goals.

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