3 Takeaways from Bayern Munich's hard fought Champions League win against Atletico Madrid
Two major injuries to Serge Gnabry and Ismael Saibari last weekend forced Aaron Danks to make several changes ahead of the midweek clash with Atletico Madrid. Lennart Karl re-entered the starting lineup and impressed by grabbing the opening goal following Robin Le Normand's mistake.
Harry Kane had a rough day in front of goal, but he assisted Konrad Laimer to double the lead. Bayern Munich almost had a third, but the goal was disallowed due to a foul on Jan Oblak; but thankfully, the two goals were enough to see Bayern through to victory.
Three points at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano Stadium propelled Bayern Munich to an automatic qualification spot, with the German side currently sitting eighth in the table.
Here are three takeaways from the positive midweek action.
The best defensive performance from Bayern Munich all season
Bayern Munich only scored two goals today, a bit below their average, but it was still a very satisfying, all-round performance from the players. Against Atletico's renowned low block, Bayern managed to crack their defence open twice thanks to Karl and Laimer, but the build-up to those goals was an example of well-planned transition tactics.
Both Bayern goals came from aggressive pressing from Karl and Davies, with Karl managing to steal the ball inside the box for the first goal, while Davies immediately recovered the loose ball to find Kane in open space to provide the assist for Laimer's stunner.
Bayern Munich's pressing system worked like a charm against Atletico, as the home side could barely complete five passes before being forced to play a long ball. Every time an Atletico player received the ball, two or three Bayern players swarmed in to force the turnover, causing Atleti a multitude of problems throughout the match.
The frontline applied continuous pressure, while the backline of Dayot Upamecano, Jonathan Tah, Josip Stanisic and Joshua Kimmich scooped up all the foul balls. Bayern won 60% of duels, including several one-on-one matchups against the physical Alexander Sorloth and the technical Julian Alvarez and Ademola Lookman. Atletico managed only 39 final-third entries and barely generated any actions on Bayern's side of the pitch. Lennart Karl looked much better out of possession, which helped Bayern's pressing tremendously.
Sustaining a lot of pressure for 90 minutes definitely tore the home team apart, with mistakes bound to happen, and Bayern made them pay. This is easily Bayern's most complete and dominant defensive outing in recent memory. The last time Bayern played this well out of possession was against Frankfurt away last season.
Konrad Laimer - the unlimited engine
The Austrian international was awarded a much-deserved Man of the Match after a stellar night in Madrid, and his thunderous goal was the cherry on top that secured him the individual award, but his general play surely earned it for him already.
Laimer was a tireless engine on Bayern's right-hand side, creating chances, getting into goal-scoring positions, counter-pressing after losing the ball, and winning his one-on-ones on the other side of the pitch. Laimer also pocketed Alex Baena and Ademola Lookman when he came on, with several crucial tackles and interceptions.
Atletico game-planned to contain Michael Olise, but they didn't take Laimer's underlapping runs into account, and he made them pay for it. He's gotten himself through on goal plenty of times recently, and if he improves his finishing, he might get at least a goal a game at this rate.
Bayern hit the jackpot getting Laimer for free a few seasons ago, and while fans may have complained about his recent extension, Bayern knew they were getting an absolute workhorse and a game changer.
Harry Kane and Dayot Upamecano, let's swap roles for a match
Funny enough, Dayot Upamecano was ridiculously close to getting a goal this game, with one shot hitting the woodwork and the other denied by VAR, and had he scored against Atletico, he would have scored in three consecutive games, unusual numbers from a big central defender.
Defenders penetrating the opposition's defence and scoring on set pieces are nothing new, but Upamecano is redefining the way a defender can score goals: through open play. Upa's aggressive pressing and physicality helped Bayern win the ball back in duels, but the part where he differs from other defenders is his ability to carry the ball up the field with his feet.
The 28-year-old's incredible speed helped him burst past a few defenders with ease, and for a center-back, he also has some wicked shots and passes up his sleeve in the final third, making him an unexpected creator.
It wouldn't be crazy to say Dayot Upamecano is Bayern's most important player at the moment; his insane two-way play is what makes or breaks the system. Without the Frenchman, Bayern struggles visibly. With his frequency of entering the opposition's final third and Harry Kane's preference to drop back, it would be funny if the duo decided to swap places for a day. Maybe also add Manuel Neuer to the mix in the midfield, and it would be a real Freaky Friday situation at Bayern.
