Bayern 3 – 2 St. Pauli: A little scare 

This article written by Pepe Salazar

Double pivot struggles

Smaller clubs run through the half-spaces where our defensive midfielders should be stopping them. Kimmich is not a defensive midfielder, so Goretzka has a heavier defensive duty; he has had good games recently, but mostly on offense. This may have blurred our perspective on his contributions in the build up and defensive phases, which are the most important for a defensive midfielder, especially in a double pivot.

Today Goretzka contributed nothing in build up or defense. St. Pauli’s first goal came from the left half-space, which he should have been marking. He made attacking runs, but Musiala covering the defensive midfielder position while he moves forward is problematic; this scenario is dangerous if we’re thinking of Inter.

By the 30th minute Kompany switched Goretzka and Kimmich, looking for more stability in build up and defense. Goretzka was then positioned as a right center back in the build up and stopped making runs forward. Kimmich went more central and focused on distribution. Even then, Kompany subbed out Goretzka at halftime and brought in Palhinha which we can assume was a tactical substitution.

With Davies out, a defensive fullback is needed

Like Goretzka, Guerreiro is better attacking than defending. By the 60th minute Kompany finally made the substitution for Ito, and Bayern’s left flank looked more solid. If not injured, Ito should be the main left back. If injured, then Stanisic is still a better defensive option than Guerreiro for the LB spot. With Upa out, it will be more important for the LB to assist the backline than to move forward.

Sané, Olise and why speed and space matter

Today Sané and Olise showed why it’s ok to play quicker football. Due to St. Pauli being opened up by an early goal, Bayern had more space to make runs and was able to move the ball faster.

Sané and Olise’s performances show Bayern can thrive on transitions just by moving the ball faster. This will be important against Inter; if Kompany finds a way to create space for his forwards Bayern should be able to beat the Italians fair and square.

Upa and Phonzie’s absence calls for higher work-rates in the midfield

Bayern’s defense has depended upon Upa and Davies making insane runs and covering huge amounts of space in the defensive phase. They can compensate for a double pivot with no defensive midfielders, but without them, if the midfield doesn’t step up their defensive game, stronger teams will take advantage of the situation.

Conclusion

Bayern can’t always depend on outscoring an opponent. If St. Pauli was able to score two goals Inter could score three. With so many injuries in the backline, the double pivot will have to step up where it matters the most (defense and build up), and our forwards will have be more efficient in scoring and pressing.

There is a lesson to learn in terms of flexibility, as the current situation would benefit from a three man midfield variation, with Palhinha as a destroyer behind Kimmich and Goretzka. Since the team is not used to that, improvising at this point could be detrimental, so Kompany will have to double down on the double pivot and expect them to be better where they struggle the most. These next few weeks will be the opportunity for our midfielders to prove their worth, step up, and carry the team forward.