Despite the return of Thiago Alcantara, substitutes Thomas Muller and Robert Lewandowski helped surge Bayern Munich to a 2-1 victory over Wolfsburg.
Changes in the Starting XI
With a vital Champions League match against Besiktas coming this week, Jupp Heynckes rested several integral players to ensure full fitness on Tuesday. The Bayern Munich “B-team” narrowly got the job done, but not without the help of some subs.
After an early 8th minute goal from Wolfsburg’s Daniel Didavi, Bayern seemed to be playing on their heels with a side that hasn’t seen much time on the pitch together. This irregular line-up held Wolfsburg to only the opening goal, as the home side went full defensive after said goal, attempting to hold out for three points if possible, or just the one point from a possible draw.
Either way, Wolfsburg would have been content as they fight to stay out of the relegation zone in a season that began very promising. The signings of John Brooks and Admir Mehmedi provided early hope for the Wolves. But their season has seen quite the derailment as they attempt to stay away from the relegation playoff.
Uneasy Play from Bayern
Bayern Munich’s first 60 minutes was not full of progressive play, especially in the first half. A side that has not seen much playing time together, Bayern’s starting XI found it difficult to find any type of quality play, with the exception of a few great passes and trickery from the likes of Thiago, and some impressive forward play from full-back Juan Bernat.
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Didavi’s goal seemed to be a result of either miscommunication from Bayern or a mismatch in coverage as Didavi found tons of open space to place home an easy header off of a cross into the box. In the second half though, Bayern seemed to settle in and play with a little more class, putting together a string of goal scoring opportunities and quality defensive play.
It was Arjen Robben’s missed penalty (after a questionable call) that really opened up the game. This miss, set in place by an impressive save from Wolfsburg ‘keeper Koen Casteels, seemed to spark energy in both squads. This spark of energy saw a revitalized, and a somewhat different pace of play, especially on attack, from Bayern Munich.
Substitutions Proved Integral
The first of three substitutions, Thomas Muller, proved to be the final spark Bayern needed to get themselves back in the match. After just two minutes on the pitch, Muller sent a through ball up the pitch that found Arjen Robben one-on-one with promising teenage full-back Gian-Luca Itter.
After an impressive bit of skill, Robben delivered a perfect cross into the box, connecting with the head of recent signee Sandro Wagner. His fantastic header found the back of the net, tying the game up at 1-1.
Further substitutions of David Alaba coming on for Franck RIbery, and Bundesliga leading goalscorer Robert Lewandowski for Sandro Wagner saw Bayern Munich up their game, ultimately leading to capturing the lead.
In the 90th minute, Arjen Robben went down in the box after a pull of the arm from Itter, placing Robert Lewandowski at the penalty spot. Lewandowski placed the penalty in the back of the net, pushing his season goal count to 20. Casteels almost once again saved the day, though, with an extended arm that didn’t quite find Lewandowski’s strike.
Bayern rode out their 2-1 lead for the remainder of extra time, ultimately leaving the Volkswagen Arena with a hard-earned three points.
Yellow Cards Galore
In a match that was somewhat straightforward, seven yellow cards were handed out for rash tackles, time wasting, and extracurriculars. Three yellows were given to Bayern players: Thiago, Ribery and Muller after some time wasting — for which he gave a thumbs up to the referee. Four yellows were handed out to Wolfsburg players: Sebastian Jung, Renato Steffen, Maxi Arnold and Gian-Luca Itter after his pull down of Arjen Robben, which ultimately led to Bayern’s victory.
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Summary
In a match which they seemingly used as preparation for Tuesday’s Besiktas clash, it was nice to see the Bavarians come out on top. Bayern’s unfamiliar line-up played very tentatively for 60 minutes of the match, but still grabbed three important points to push themselves further away from the competition in Bundesliga play.
But the match also showed something else from Bayern Munich, something that may prove integral in a hopeful Champions League run: a lack of consistency from bench players, and possibly a lack of squad depth as well. Although Bayern did ultimately come out on top, the starting XI fielded against lowly Wolfsburg hardly looked capable of taking on Europe’s best.