Four takeaways as Bayern Munich drop points against RB Leipzig

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MUNICH, GERMANY – FEBRUARY 09: (BILD ZEITUNG OUT) Angelino of RB Leipzig and Thomas Mueller of FC Bayern Muenchen battle for the ball during the Bundesliga match between FC Bayern Muenchen and RB Leipzig at Allianz Arena on February 9, 2020, in Munich, Germany. (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images) /

A good wake-up call

Since the Ruckrunde started for Bayern Munich, they have yet to be challenged by a Bundesliga club. Schalke was the team that had the highest ranking in the Bundesliga when they played each other but got dispatched by Bayern 5-0. Hoffenheim came in looking for a win in the DFB Pokal, but after a late rally, they still fell short by a score of 4-3 with Bayern dominating that match for the first 80 minutes.

This match against Leipzig was the first time this calendar year, where Bayern were challenged from the beginning to end with a team that has defensive stability and attacking firepower. Certain players of Bayern’s eleven rose to the challenge, while others did not raise their performance level.

Starting with the disappointments, one has to first look at the attack, which offered very little in this match. Robert Lewandowski did not rise to the challenge, and critics will see this as another performance where the striker shrunk under pressure. Only getting off two shots (WhoScored) in the entire match is unacceptable in a game of this magnitude. He wasn’t the only one, though. Thomas Muller was deployed on the right again, and unlike his other league games this year, he couldn’t make even a small contribution, much less on the score sheet.

Last but not the least, Serge Gnabry was put on the left due to Ivan Perisic‘s injury with Kingsley Coman still coming back to full fitness. With this being not his normal position, one can forgive a lackluster performance, but when the Champions League rolls around, he needs to be in top form.

The players that had good performances came from the midfield. Hansi Flick went with his typical three-man midfield of Joshua Kimmich playing defensive midfield, while Leon Goretzka and Thiago Alcantara playing in the center of midfield. All three players showed their quality by doing a fantastic job of keeping possession and disrupting the Leipzig attack. They were the reason Bayern had a high possession rate and worked tirelessly to win the ball back. Like the wingers, all three players worked hard to go up and down the pitch to keep the tempo and passing at a high level. Bayern will need their attackers to match the level of their midfield if they are to seriously challenge in the champions league, and win the Bundesliga.