Bayern Munich grab second 1-0 win in a row after sluggish display vs. Koln

A weak performance from Bayern Munich led to yet another weak 1-0 victory over significantly weaker opposition, this time against FC Koln.

Bayern Munich put in yet another weak performance today, this time against 1. FC Köln. After the performance at the weekend against Frankfurt, this is the second consecutive 1-0 victory against a team in the lower third of the league. Three points is three points, but this was yet another game that Bayern made very hard work of.

Whereas Frankfurt decided to attack and get in Bayern’s face, Köln’s approach to the match was quite the opposite. At one point in the first half, the home team had managed to accumulate over 80% of possession with 9 corners but still no goals.

Too Much Depth

As Heynckes looks to be moving away from his beloved 4-2-3-1, this match saw a squad with an overabundance of midfield talent crammed into a 4-1-4-1. Müller and Ribéry played the wide roles, Lewandowski sat up top and a trio of tough-tackling central midfielders was formed by Arturo Vidal, Corentin Tolisso and Sebastian Rudy.

The selection makes a lot of sense but was still quite unusual. Vidal has scored four goals in four  consecutive games. Tolisso had the game of his life against Paris Saint-Germain last week and Sebastian Rudy has become Bayern Munich’s unsung hero, putting in very solid performances every time he is called upon.

All three of these players earned their starts, but, frustratingly, they all came at the expense of James Rodriguez, Kingsley Coman and Javi Martinez; each of whom are near enough guaranteed starters at the moment. Both Tolisso and Vidal failed to make any impact throughout the first half and were, understandably, taken off in place of James and Coman, respectively.

A Need For Variation

This significant depth in midfield talent stands in stark contrast to a lack of depth further up the field. A struggle against Frankfurt could have been put down to a lack of Robert Lewandowski up front. Today’s struggle can also be put down to that, despite the fact that he was starting from the first minute.

His only significant contribution was, naturally, the goal. A perfectly weighted ball over the top of the Köln defense met Thomas Müller who headed backwards — as only Thomas Müller could do — and found Lewandowski who slotted in from close range.

While he got the goal after 60 minutes, the rest of his play was impact-less. Whether his difficulty to get involved was a by-product of Bayern’s approach to the game (endless crosses) or it being an off-game for him, this match confirmed an opinion that I have held for some time: another striker that can provide a variation in approach is needed to break down teams that rely on parking the bus.

Try, Try Again…

The first half and large stretches of the second half resembled a video on repeat. Every player resorted to providing failing crosses to no one, most notably David Alaba who has struggled to show any real sign of improvement for the best part of two-and-a-half years.

The repetition of crossing, Köln clearance, Bayern cross, Köln clearance was enough to warrant two attacking changes at half time. The introduction of James and Coman saw Bayern’s approach become more grounded, with more quick passing and less predictable movements.

Next: Bayern Munich crawl to 1-0 victory over Koln -- Player grades

Against a team that had a right-back playing as a center-forward, two players given their senior debut and an entire squad hastily put together after 14 first time injuries, this is a match that should have been taken by the scruff of the neck. As vehemently as they defended, 1-0 really is not good enough. Three points is three points, however 1-0 is nothing short of abysmal.