Kane Leads Route of Zagreb
September 18, 2024 Vincent Kompany lined up with Manuel Neuer, Raphaël Guerreiro, Dayot Upamecano, Kim MinJae, Alphonso Davies, Joshua Kimmich, Aleksander Pavlovic, Michael Olise, Jamal Musiala, Serge Gnabry and Harry Kane.
Once again, Bayern would dominate the first half and after having several goals ruled offside finally opened the scoring through Kane in the 19th minute. Guerreiro and Olise would add a goal a piece in the 33rd and 38th minutes, respectively, sending Bayern into halftime with a 3-0 lead.
Kompany would be forced into a change at the half bringing in Sven Ulreich for Neuer in goal as a precaution following a rough fall in the first half. Zagreb would take advantage by scoring two quick goals in the 48th and 50th minutes. In reality Ulreich really could not have done anything about either and in fact saved Bayern just a few minutes after from Zagreb going level with an outstretched arm save.
Seven minutes later however and Bayern would flip the switch. Kane would score a penalty 4-2 followed by another Olise goal in the 61st minute 5-2. Kane would add two more in the 73rd minute and from the penalty spot again in the 78th 7-2. Sané would score the 8th in the 85th minute and Goretzka would finish the goal onslaught in the 92nd minute 9-2.
Three Things We Noticed
Offense Flying
With the nine goals scored today, Bayern have now scored 15 in their last two matches. That is quite a haul regardless of who they were playing. On top of that Kane has scored seven in of those 15 while Olise has three of his own.
In short, the offense is flying at the moment. They are creating opportunities and finishing them. The build up, the chances, the passes and the shots are all coming from different sources and largely from the entire team.
It has been a long time since we’ve seen the team consistently look this threatening in attack or this cohesive overall. While I’m still hesitant to say it’s permanent, it has been an encouraging start to the season.
Identity Taking Shape
Speaking of which, this team has started to develop a clear identity. If there was any doubt prior to the arrival of Kompany as to the type of football he would likely play, it seems as though the first few games are starting to give us a clearer picture.
As mentioned in the Kiel match report, the team is moving the ball more fluidly. They are pressing more consistently and recovering the ball higher up the pitch. Their movement off the ball is better and they’re better at dealing with pressure themselves.
Maybe most importantly, they have been far more productive with their possession. They are not just keeping the ball just to keep it. They are moving forward with a purpose instead of the dreaded “U”.
Defensively, they’re exposable with quick counter attacks and passing, as usual, but the press is mitigating some of that risk. The clear goal is not necessarily keeping a clean sheet but creating enough opportunities and goals that a slip up here or there won’t matter.
While some of us may rather see a team that is more defensively secure, this is a style of play that these players are both familiar with and suited to. The real question is whether they will be able to successfully play this way against bigger teams or whether they’ll be overly exposed. Only time will tell.
Müller Setting Records
This seems to be a season that will be full of record breaking moments for Thomas Müller. While we might not mention them all, this one is notable. Setting the all time appearance record in the Champions League for a single team is noteworthy and adds to the already impressive legacy that he has built in his time at Bayern and for Germany.
Müller is not just here to set legacy records though. He’s still adding value to the team and racking up significant minutes to give Musiala a breather. The only thing I can really say is to enjoy the remaining time we have with this legend. Hopefully he’ll break a lot more records and go out in the way that he truly deserves.
