Bayern Munich win 2019 Telekom Cup after two penalty shootouts
They didn’t score a single goal in regulation time, but Bayern Munich won both of their penalty shoot-outs to win the 2019 Telekom Cup.
Bayern Munich began 2019 with a step in the right direction, beating out Fortuna Dusseldorf, Borussia Monchengladbach and Hertha Berlin to the Telekom Cup title. Interestingly, the Bavarians managed to emerge victors of the brief tournament without scoring a single goal.
Their first match — all Telekom Cup games are a mere 45 minutes in total — was against Fortuna Dusseldorf. Niko Kovac fielded a strong starting XI, with center-back Lars Lukas Mai the only real surprise selection. Despite struggling to get anything going offensively and looking a bit shaky at the back, Bayern overcame their opponents 8-7 in a penalty shootout.
Kovac made some massive changes to his squad between their first and second matches. Renato Sanches — who kept his spot in holding midfield — was the only player to start both matches.
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Bayern Munich won their second match in a similar manner to their first. After 45 minutes of goalless play, the Bavarians won the penalty shootout 4-2. Mats Hummels closed the tournament in style with a finely executed Panenka penalty.
Most notably, Bayern’s newest signing, Alphonso Davies, made his debut against Gladbach. The Canadian was a standout player for Die Roten on the right flank, offering a glimpse of what he can add to the Bavarian attack with his incredible speed and tight dribbling.
Davies wasn’t the only youngster to feature, though. Woo-Yeong Jeong was almost equally as impressive, as was his partner on the left flank Alexander Lungwitz. It’s doubtful either player will get first team minutes anytime soon, but they at least gave Niko Kovac something to consider.
James Rodriguez, meanwhile, made his return to the starting lineup after spending several weeks out injured. The Colombian could play a massive role for Bayern in lieu of Thomas Muller’s two-match Champions League suspension, so it’s important he builds form over the next month or so.
Finally, Thiago Alcantara will no doubt be pleased with his performance against the Foals. The Spaniard was handed the captain’s armband ahead of names like Jerome Boateng and Mats Hummels, and he stepped up with a calm display in the heart of midfield.
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Bayern now turn their attention to Friday’s Bundesliga return against Hoffenheim. They’ll need to be much more threatening in their attack if they hope to overcome Julian Nagelsmann’s side and start 2019 on the right track.