Match Analysis: FC Bayern München – Olympiacos 4-0 (3-0)
November 25, 2015 It was Bayern ‘s last Champions League home game of the year. With a win, they could secure the top spot in the group. Furthermore, Thomas Müller had the chance to write history and become the youngest player ever to reach 50 wins in the CL, a record held by Raul – until now.
Bayern used a highly offensive-minded 4-1-5, Olympiacos chose a flexible 4-3-3 formation.3 things we noticed:
1. Douglas Costa as the best signing
You cannot praise the Bayern scouting team enough for this transfer scoop. In 20 games, he has already recorded 19 scorer points (5 goals, 14 assists). In the match against Olympiacos, he once again showed his incredible dribbling skills and speed. He is now also able to create more space for other attackers, such as Müller or Robben, through his offensive presence and threat.
In a 4-1-5 formation, Costa was the connecting player who starts the final phase of an attack with his actions. 50 ball actions, one key pass, three shots on target and one goal were his stats for the evening. His defensive actions are becoming more important and better as well. Since Vidal had to cover a lot of space, Coman and Costa needed to support him regularly. Costa was able to end several Olympiacos counter-attacks in the first half with defensive tackles – using his speed, attacking early in midfield.
2. Badstuber the tragic hero
He had to wait seven months for his comeback in the starting line up. He had to fight long and hard after he had torn his muscle. His substitution against Stuttgart and the starting lineup position against Olympiacos were great not only for him but for everyone involved with Bayern. How important he can be for the build up is proved by yesterday’s statistics. 7 of 7 long balls found the target – even better than the great Boateng. Up until the red card, he played flawless and had no problems with the pressing. But the sending-off showed his weakness: he hasn’t got the necessary speed – yet!
With a clearance he was forced into a 1-on-1 he couldn’t win. The red card was the logical consequence. But the game showed his value. Against passive opponents he could be the first choice and he already is another valuable option for the build up. What he needs now is lots and lots and lots of playing time to get those last percentages of fitness. Both he probably won’t get before the winter break. That being said, he will turn into an option next year – first and foremost to give Boateng some rest in a packed schedule.
3. Kingsley Coman as alternative
One goal, one assist and one pre-assist: Coman played very well. The young Frenchman is really proving himself as Bayerns 12th man. He switches between starting lineup (at home) and the bench (away games) but he always delivers with a good performance. The fact that Franck Ribery, who would be the number one choice for that position, hasn’t played in any of the six magical Champions League home games with 30 goals scored, shows how much potential this team has.
Coman furthermore had a passing accuracy of more than 90% and all of his five long balls reached their target. In addition, he played two key passes and had two successful dribblings. When Bayern were one man down he managed to tie down three or four defenders by himself and together with Müller (later Kimmich) he was able to create scoring chances for Bayern. Just like Costa, he has an insane quota: In 924 minutes of playing time, he was directly involved in the creation of 10 goals (3 goals and 7 assists) – that is one scorer point per match.
| FC Bayern München – Olympiacos 4-0 (3-0) | |
|---|---|
| FC Bayern | Neuer – Lahm, Boateng, Badstuber, Rafinha – Vidal – Robben (33. Kimmich), Müller, Douglas Costa (72. Martinez), Coman – Lewandowski (56. Benatia) |
| Subs | Ulreich, Kirchhoff, Alonso, Rode |
| Olympiacos | Roberto – Elabdellaoui (78. Salino), da Costa, Siovas, Masuaku – Kasami (67. Fortounis), Cambiasso, Milivojevic – Pardo (67. Hernani), Ideye, Seba |
| Goals | 1-0 Costa (8.), 2-0 Lewandowski (16.), 3-0 Müller (20.), 4-0 Coman (69.) |
| Cards | Yellow: Boateng / Milivojevic, Red: Badstuber (53.) |
| Referee | Jonas Eriksson (Sweden) |
| Attendance | 70.000 (sold out) |
Dont want to be overly critical or something, but expected Neuer to rush out goal for that ball (Badstuber red), maybe it was the tv angle, what did people think about that?
That would’ve been a risky move. The long ball was played perfectly, it wasn’t the typical desperation pass that might or might not reach the striker. He could’ve tried but, with Badstuber covering, Neuer decided that it’s safer not to go for it.