Bayern Munich performed brilliantly as club football returned and moved to the top spot of the Bundesliga table for the first time in over a year with a 6-1 win over recently promoted Holstein Kiel. The floodgates opened in the very first seconds when Jamal Musiala put Bayern ahead and thanks to two consecutive goals from Harry Kane and Kiel's own defender, Bayern took an early 3-0 lead before the 15-minute mark. Kane made it two with an easy strike before the break. Kiel scored another goal before Michael Olise scored the fifth goal in the second half but Kane finished the job and converted his penalty to register his first hat-trick of the new season. Here are some observations from the game.
World-class Verticalspiel
There is no doubt that Kiel played poorly today – they had too many flaws in their structure, which made it too easy for Bayern to create chances, and they messed up early in the game, allowing Bayern players to get around the Kiel defence. Still, much of Bayern's preparation, especially in the first half, was superb.
In particular, the passing was superb. Bayern consistently tried to play long balls and direct, vertical passes – something that Bayern teams have missed lately. Kiel made it easy for Bayern to play those passes, but it was good to see players actually make the best possible moves instead of just playing sideways passes in most situations. There was a sense of urgency and attacking direction tonight that hasn't always been there from the Bayern midfield.
It will be interesting to see how Aleksandar Pavlovic fits into such a setup, with so much emphasis on straight forward passing – an area in which the youngster excels.
However, this was far from the ideal game plan. Bayern's many lapses in concentration led to the team losing possession often, and a better team would have punished Bayern rather than allowing them to win the ball back so easily.
The (almost) perfect attack
It hasn't been easy to praise Serge Gnabry for a long time, but it seems he is slowly getting back into his rhythm this season. Gnabry's frequent explosive runs were the focal point of Bayern's attack in the first half and created a number of chances from quick cutbacks and crosses into the box. It's a shame Gnabry didn't get his name on the scoresheet, as he certainly deserved a goal tonight.
Vincent Kompany's new system allows Kane to play his natural game and operate simultaneously as a creator and a finisher in the final third. Kane's brilliant performance – and hat-trick – tonight was proof of that, proving once again that he can do both jobs better than anyone else.
Musiala was as explosive as ever and his performance was a continuation of his performances with the national team and was a clear blow to France Football and other critics after he was left out of the 30-man nominees list for the Ballon d'Or.
However, if anyone felt they could have left more players on the pitch, it was winger Kingsley Coman, who will hope for sharper and more impressive days if he is to keep his place in Bayern's attack with so many options.
The bench didn't help
Of course, in any game that ends with a big score in Bayern’s favour and a single goal scored, it is impossible to ignore the goal conceded by Bayern.
The second half saw a clear drop in quality as players were brought on from the bench to maintain fitness for the upcoming Champions League opener, but it wasn't a very inspiring performance from most of the players. Konrad Laimer looked shaky in the Kiel goal (although Joshua Kimmich was equally good in defence) and Matthys Tell offered nothing of value. Michael Olise was a bright spot – he had some great moments and really should have started the game over Coman. Unfortunately. Thomas Muller couldn't score his birthday goal, but he was the subject of a foul that should have given Bayern a penalty.
You'd just expect a little more from the new players. On the bright side, at least this match didn't end like the cold, windy DFB-Pokal night in January 2021. Not revenge, of course, but it was much more enjoyable.
That's it for tonight! Next up is the Champions League.
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