Bayen Fall to Barca in Frantic Match
October 23, 2024 Vincent Kompany sent out Manuel Neuer, Raphael Guerriero, Dayot Upamecano, Kim MinJae, Alphonso Davies, Joshua Kimmich, João Palhinha, Michael Olise, Thomas Müller, Serge Gnabry and Harry Kane in his starting eleven.
Three Things We Noticed
Battle of Managers
This match ended up being exactly what it was billed as: A battle of two managers with very similar high octane risky tactics. In this round Hansi Flick’s side got the better of Kompany’s.
Both managers stuck to their guns, much to the confusion and disbelief of seemingly everyone watching the match. The commentators on the US broadcast spent the majority of the first half exclaiming in disbelief as both teams high lines allowed chance after chance at each other’s goals.
However, from my perspective, I’m really not sure what people were expecting. Hansi Flick is maybe the most rigid tactician I’ve seen in football. He does not have a plan B, or at least he has never used it. If plan A doesn’t work then his answer is to double down and work harder at making it work.
Kompany is slightly more flexible but his general philosophical belief centers around playing a high backline and pressuring the ball creating more chances than the opposition and overwhelming them in and around the box.
Anyone expecting anything other than the wide open dangerous play that was exhibited in this match was kidding themselves. Perhaps the only surprise is that the final score remained at a meager 4-1 instead of a much more extravagant goal count.
Mercy of Luck
While there will unquestionably and deservedly be many questions of Kompany and the tactics employed, I think it would be remiss not to mention the role luck and efficiency played in this match.
Barcleona’s opening minute goal saw a pass go off of Kim’s leg onto a free running Raphinha that gave him an easy 1v1 on Neuer.
Nine minutes later, Kane appeared to have put Bayern level but he had just jumped offsides by his toes and therefore it was called back. Bayern in fact dominated nearly the entire remainder of the first half until the late goals from Barcelona.
Barcelona’s second goal was inexplicably allowed to stand despite a clear push on Kim in the build up. Raphinha’s second goal, Barca’s third, came just before the half and went through Upamecano’s legs as he attempted to block the shot in what was an incredible goal in the circumstances.
The final goal of the match came off the back of a corner kick at the other end where Lamine Yamal slid a pass through to an onrunning Raphinha and finished past Neuer in a shot that realistically the Bayern keeper should have done better on.
It would be disingenuous to say Barca didn’t deserve their win, they absolutely did, but there is no question that on another night, Bayern might have won this match.
The match stats were very similar. Barca simply was more efficient and had more luck on the night. Bayern had far more possession. Barca had one more shot attempt and on goal. But Barcelona was far more efficient and had a few things go their way that really made the difference in the game.
No Time to Wallow
This result of course makes things much more difficult for Bayern in the Champions League. They now sit in 23rd place in the table and will need to win nearly every remaining match to ensure they’re still playing in the spring.
They also have important Bundesliga matches coming up that are games Bayern need to ensure they are getting maximum points from.
It was a bad night. One that will not sit well with the fans and will undoubtedly raise questions. But one bad night should not be enough to derail this team. Perspective must still be maintained.
This is a young coach just a few months into the biggest job he’s had in his career. The players are still adjusting. There are a few key injuries. It’s a long season with plenty of time to turn things around, even in the Champions League.
The best thing everyone can do is to take note of the things that need to be improved upon and get back to work tomorrow. Lingering on this match will achieve nothing.
