Why Bayern still come away with more than a point

Harry Kane was everywhere on Wednesday night. At times he picked up the ball deep in his own half, at others he directed his teammates, then he sprinted forward again or helped out in his own penalty box. He set up the equaliser for FC Bayern, won the penalty that gave them the lead and converted it himself.

And at the final whistle, Kane looked for the very man who denied FCB victory: his compatriot Declan Rice. With his late equaliser, Kane’s England teammate snatched what would’ve been a big Champions League win away from the Bavarians.

Victory was within reach

“The draw was fair overall,” summarised Kane. “We’ve got a lot of players who are missing, so we’ll take the point. We had good moments but unfortunately not enough to win.”

He and his teammates produced an impressive display against one of Europe’s best teams. The opening goal from Eberechi Eze (25’) was cancelled out by Alphonso Davies (35’), before Kane struck (61’) – and then Rice (82’). But they also missed out on claiming a win which, given the way the match went, was certainly possible.

“We had personnel issues. It wasn’t a performance of total dominance – that’s maybe not possible against a team with so much quality. Viewed objectively, we had the better big chances. The boys fought and showed energy,” said Bayern coach Vincent Kompany.

Unlike many Bundesliga teams, Arsenal were opponents whose first priority was not to close the spaces in front of their own penalty area. The English champions wanted to have the ball themselves and forced their hosts to wait patiently for opportunities.

Through that, another of Bayern’s strengths became apparent: the team still find solutions even when they’re not dominating the game in the usual way. When Arsenal pushed up too high, the Munich men purposefully searched for the gaps behind. Fast runs into space, precise through balls and the courage to up the tempo at the right moment became vital elements.

That man again

And constantly at the heart of it was Kane. The England captain once again reinterpreted his role far beyond the classic centre-forward. He dropped back, spread passes, identified spaces before they completely opened. His sumptous pass to Davies for the equaliser was the best example of that: a through ball, perfectly weighted into the path of the Canadian, who finished with composure. With one single moment of clarity, Bayern had overcome the Arsenal defence.

The stats prove how even the contest was for the most part. Arsenal registered 53.9 percent possession and played 502 passes, Bayern had 46.1 percent and 435 passes. The Gunners also slightly edged attempts with 14 to 13, although efforts on target were identical with five apiece.

Bayern with better chances

But in terms of the quality of the opportunities, Bayern had the upper hand: four big chances to the visitors’ two, as well as a higher expected goals figure of 2.51 compared to 1.40. The quality of chances from open play was particularly striking: the Reds were considerably ahead here with an xG of 1.72 to 0.50.

“We had a good phase, got into a rhythm going forward and played well, but Arsenal are a very good team and they applied pressure. Then we concede the goal and it gets a bit scrappy,” described Tom Bischof.

What stands out is the confidence with which Bayern played. Kane led the way with exemplary commitment as he notched his 10th successive Champions League appearance with at least one goal. He’s scored 13 goals in total during this remarkable streak, as well as four assists in those 10 games. With four goals already in the current campaign, Kane is again the joint top scorer in the competition.

Yet his importance extends beyond goals and assists. Kane gave structure to the play, shouldered responsibility and was also a shining example without the ball. Particularly in the absence of some other key players, it became clear how valuable his understanding of the game is for the whole team. Meanwhile, his colleagues made up for the personnel losses with effort, desire and mutual support.

Arsenal demonstrate quality

Of course, the visitors also showed why they’re one of the continent’s top sides. Arsenal were a threat throughout, did not let themselves be discouraged by the Munich lead and found new solutions. The North London outfit were committed in the tackles, winning 64 percent of them overall, and managed to put Bayern under pressure especially in the closing stages.

The fact that the Gunners scored two goals from relatively few clear-cut chances underlined their individual class. But it also showed how fine the margins are at this level.

Challenges remain. Bayern still need to protect leads better in the key moments against opponents of this quality. There’s also room for improvement in the physical presence and sharpness in the duels. After all, Bayern don’t just want to compete with Europe’s best in the Champions League but beat them too. After three matchdays, they have five points on the board.

However, Wednesday evening also provided an insight that is likely to prove invaluable going forward.

In the 6-1 win over RB Leipzig a few days ago, FCB demonstrated what’s possible when pretty much everything clicks. Against Arsenal, the team showed a different quality: they can change their style of play, react to the opposition’s strengths and still perform at the highest level without key players.

So, the German record champions don’t always have to be strong in the same way. Especially in the Champions League, where different opponents ask different questions, that adaptability could prove hugely significant.

“We’re in a period with a lot of games. You have to immediately look to the next one. We played against strong opponents, we realised that,” added Kompany.

The next challenging task follows on Sunday, with the Bundesliga away match at third-placed SC Freiburg (Matchplan).