The Bayern Munich that fans so desperately missed made a small return in a friendly against Tottenham Hotspur.
Bayern came out of the door swinging and grabbed an early lead through Gabriel Vidović thanks to a poorly deflected Serge Gnabry shot. Bayern added another thanks to Leon Goretzka in the second half, but an absolute screamer from the Premier League side’s Pedro Porro saw Bayern’s lead but back to a single goal. Here are some observations from a truly beautiful game.
Kompany got everything right tonight
After the disaster-class at Düren, the pressure was on for Kompany to deliver in front of international fans and give us a look into what next season should look like, He did exactly that and more, beating a Tottenham team who had been in Korea for longer and were better acclimated to the humid weather having already played a match there,
The game was typical Kompany. The press was perfect — aggressive enough to keep the ball yet smart enough to cover the pitch, switching play across the pitch, total control in midfield, synchronized movements to constrict Tottenham’s possession. But what really made it a trademark Kompany set-up was Sacha Boey’s role — who formed a great partnership with Gnabry, even overlapping with him at times. Boey was key to Bayern’s buildup in the middle of the pitch and did well covering at the back while doing exactly what you’d expect from a center-back under Kompany.
Mathys Tel could be a unique superstar
Mathys Tel played an incredible game tonight, acting both as an outlet to score and create. Some of Tel’s curved passes in the crowded Tottenham box were truly stunning to watch. Tel’s performance tonight was the greatest audition for his role as a direct backup to Kane, and why he deserves many more minutes in the coming season — not only does he possess a thunderous shot, but when in his flow, he is an outstanding passer just around and inside the box. He possesses a unique threat that Bayern has backed going forward for years and one that Bayern will certainly need in the future. I guess there will be a lot for him to talk about in his next installment of “Tel Your Story.”
What Harry Kane could bring to this set-up
Now onto Harry Kane. Kompany showed that his style relies on players who are not afraid to make dangerous, connecting forward passes from difficult angles in and outside the final third. Kane, when he is able to drop deep and get the space he needs to function, is a master at making exactly those passes as we saw multiple times last season. Moreover, he adds a goalscoring threat rivaled only by a few, and Bayern could’ve used it tonight. Kane will thrive in such a set-up, and it remains to be season whether or not Kompany has the tactical nuance to use him to the fullest.
Midfield combinations
Joshua Kimmich and Aleksandar Pavlović formed a perfect midfield duo tonight. Kimmich was able to move forward and create chances — something he has always done best, coupled with Pavlović doing just as well as a deep-lying playmaker. It is another argument for Kimmich to extend (given he is ready to play such a role, occasionally be benched, and take a small pay cut).
The two of them had the midfield on lockdown throughout the first half and Kimmich in particular was making the sort of passes into the box he would typically make as a full-back. Kompany allowed for fluidity across the right flank and the players did the set-up well.
When Goretzka and Laimer came on, however, Bayern seemed to begin to lose control. Laimer wasn't able to press as well as he should've and Goretzka, while he made a good tackle or two, seemed to be preoccupied with something that didn't pertain to his role in midfield. His goal obviously was a good saving grace, but the duo allowed the game to open up more and gave Tottenham a lot more chances. Bayern was found having to make more recovery runs and weren't able to make passes of the quality the pivot in the first half did.
Palhinha had a good debut and did his job as needed. It will be exciting to see how he performs in a pivot or midfield three with Kimmich and Pavlović.
Zaragoza disappoints yet again
Another very disappointing game from Bryan Zaragoza calls for the winger to be loaned out for the upcoming season because when allowed to prove himself, he faltered time and time again — this time missing easy chances and losing the ball easily in advantageous positions. He isn't ready to play for Bayern yet, and there is no need to inhibit his development as a player. A loan is the clear way to go.