Initial reactions and observations
- Well that was frustrating. Vincent Kompany faces his first proper opponent, and it ends in a draw. Sure, Bayern Munich dominated the game, but the chances created were not good enough (aside from the Gnabry efforts) to beat Leverkusen at the back. The fact that this game could have been a loss if not for an incredibly unlikely long range shot by Pavlović is an indicator of a broader issue.
- Credit to the defense, they were impeccable today. Kim Min-jae and Dayot Upamecano did not put a foot wrong, despite Felix Zwayer doing his best to call everything Kim did as a foul. The fact that Leverkusen scored from their only shot is not their fault.
- Harry Kane barely touched the ball in the second half, and certainly did not manage any shots. The fact that he was completely neutralized like this (before being subbed off for injury) feels like an ominous throwback to the Tuchel era.
- Felix Zwayer should never be allowed to referee big games like this. He fell for Leverkusen’s play-acting and time wasting, and even rewarded it with a mere five minutes of added time. Fouls on Bayern players were not called, with the most egregious being Xhaka’s on Musiala inside the penalty box. If he’s back on the job for the Klassiker, things will go poorly.
Full time: Bayern Munich 1-1 Bayer Leverkusen.
85’ — Sub: Harry Kane comes off injured, Thomas Müller is on.
83’ — Harry Kane is down injured after a Leverkusen challenge. Physios are on the pitch.
77’ — Sub: Leroy Sané and Konrad Laimer are on for Michael Olise and Rapha Guerreiro.
64’ — Sub: Kingsley Coman comes on for Serge Gnabry.
45’ — The second half is underway!
Halftime observations and analysis
- Bayern Munich deserve to be ahead on the balance of play, but Xabi Alonso has imported Real Madrid’s voodoo to this Bayer Leverkusen team. It’s surprising to see them park the bus, but it’s worked out for them so far.
- Both goals scored were so unlikely. xG is a myth.
- Felix Zwayer has to be the worst kind of referee for big games like this. How the DFL keeps picking him like this is a mystery.
- The goal he scored erases Pavlović’s mistake leading to the opener. Otherwise, the youngster has been having a really good performance.
- It appears that the “twenty goals in a single week” statistic was a significant outlier — Bayern Munich have found it very hard to break down this Leverkusen defense. So far.
Halftime: Bayern Munich 1-1 Bayer Leverkusen.
38’ — GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL! Pavlović makes it 1-1!
30’ — Goal. Robert Andrich scores against the run of play.
Kickoff: We are underway!
One hour until kickoff: We have lineups! Bayern Munich will start with all their heavy hitters up top, including Harry Kane, Jamal Musiala, Michael Olise, and Serge Gnabry. Joshua Kimmich and Aleksandar Pavlović start in midfield, while Guerreiro and Davies play on the flanks. Dayot Upamecano and Kim Min-jae will be tasked with handling Leverkusen in the center.
This is basically the same starting XI that beat Dinamo Zagreb 9-2. Will we see a repeat of that performance?
Bayern Munich have always been THE team to beat in German football, a reputation earned courtesy of a long history of silverware at the very top level of professional football. However, that same reputation took a beating last season, thanks to the exploits of Xabi Alonso and this Bayer Leverkusen superteam.
Vincent Kompany is here to set the record straight, and he has one hell of a team to do it with. Coming off a week where twenty goals were scored, people expect big things from this Bayern Munich side. Jamal Musiala, Michael Olise, and Harry Kane have all been on fire this season, while the Pavlović-Kimmich midfield has dealt with all challenges thus far. Still, can they handle Leverkusen? Especially THIS Leverkusen?
It’s Bayern time.
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Match Info
Location: Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany
Time: 6:30 pm local time, 12:30 pm EST
TV/streaming: ESPN+, Find Your Country
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