Five takeaways from Bayern Munich’s sluggish 2-1 win over VfB Stuttgart
The days of having a comfortable lead in the title race are long gone, as every second in the Bundesliga has become a battle. Bayern Munich went into yet another Bundesliga match with their table position on the line. Facing VfB Stuttgart, who are avoiding relegation and are highly motivated, right before Paris-Saint-Germain in the midweek Champions League fixture did not make life easier for the Rekordmeister, but they managed to pull it off!
The Stuttgart defence (particularly Hiroki Ito) was able to isolate and push the wingers to an unusually wide position. The 88th-minute goal by Juan Jose Perea reminded the Bavarians that they were not taking the game seriously enough. The Bavarians had completely lost steam at this point, looking lost, and the pathetic last-minute conceding was clearly reflective of the team’s inability to finish off a game.
Attacking absurdity?
The assist king, Thomas Muller, is the team’s most important player. Bayern’s demise was precipitated by Muller’s untimely substitution. There is literally no one else on this team who can do the job he does. Sure, our players are world-class in some ways, but does any of them possess all of these qualities in a single, incredible 1.85m package? I don’t think so. This must be the logical line of thought that everyone must follow when dealing with substitutions. By applying this logic, we have arrived at the only correct conclusion: subbing off Muller is a cardinal sin.
How a soccer team used fake scores to sabotage its opponent
Jamal Musiala is a joy to watch, and there is no other player in the world who can make me cry. His footwork is incredible, especially in tight spaces where defenders are circling him. His chemistry with Alphonso Davies is nothing short of extraordinary, and has been compared to the legendary David Alaba-Franck Ribery partnership. My only criticism of the youngster is his inability/reluctance to shoot. His shots are frequently hesitant, causing them to be delayed by a few seconds and, as a result, ineffective.
On the subject of shooting, the abhorrent output from today’s attack in the final third should be mentioned. The runs were coming, there were fantastic crosses (courtesy of an in-form Kingsley Coman), the right passes were being made, and the positioning was perfect, but the goals never came. Maxim Choupo-Eric Moting was almost uncharacteristically quiet in the first half, and if it hadn’t been for Matthijs de Ligt’s beautiful goal, the Bavarians would have left Stuttgart empty-handed. This isn’t a new complaint; the poor attacking output has been around for a while, appearing and disappearing in cycles.
Kingsley Coman is an elite winger who must start against PSG. His crossing has greatly improved, and he is now making the necessary, incredible runs. Apart from Musiala, King is Bayern Munich’s most in-form winger, and I have nothing but praise for him.
Leroy Sane, on the other hand, has been a colossal letdown — and that’s an understatement. Serge Gnabry was simply adequate against his former club, offering nothing particularly brilliant or noteworthy.
The very best.
My God, Joshua Kimmich. At this rate, he may be the world’s best defensive midfielder. His long-range passing and shooting abilities are out of this world, and he is unquestionably the main reason our defence works. Leon Goretzka has finally found his footing, and I can no longer criticise him for his rash attacking moves — he’s now a more mature player who plays the box-to-box role flawlessly.
Part One of the Defense
The defence is a complicated subject that I’d like to break down into sections.
Davies, as previously stated, is absolutely fantastic, and his collaboration with Musiala is drool-worthy. His ability to make the right runs and feed the attack with the right balls is what distinguishes him as one of the best full-backs in the world.
Matthijs de Ligt is a treasure, and I am eternally grateful to Bayern for acquiring him. He is a defensively sound centre-back, but it is his attacking ability that consistently leaves me speechless. The absolute stunner he scored is a textbook example of what happens when you allow such a talented player to display his diverse skill set. It’s a joy to watch him dominate and excel in the backline as he grows into his role here at Bayern. Dayot Upamecano’s defence will ensure you get a good night’s sleep every night — because you can blindly trust the Frenchman. He’s just that good.
With that out of the way, let us proceed to Part II.
Part II of the defence — the great debate.
Among the greatest questions, along with “To be or not to be” and “Coke or Pepsi,” is “Stanisic or Cancelo?”
Josip Stanisic provides defensive stability — he killed the Stuttgart counter on multiple occasions — and a solid, reliable presence in the backline, whereas Joao Cancelo provides an explosive right flank in combination with Kingsley Coman. As a result, the starting right-back position must be determined with regard to the game in question. The presence of Noussair Mazraoui certainly complicates matters, but having a large number of options is a lot easier on the squad than losing full-backs to injuries and playing without them.
Observations on various topics
Bruno Labadia’s Stuttgarts are far, far superior to Pelegrino Materazzo’s Stuttgarts.
Julia Simic’s commentary is invigorating.
No matter how many bans the DFB imposes on flares, the end result remains the same.
