Bayern Strikes
Fansided

Takeaways as Bayern Munich emerge victorious against Union Berlin

By Joshua Bishop

Bayern Munich's German midfielder Serge Gnabry (R) attempts to score past Union Berlin's Polish goalkeeper Rafal Gikiewicz during the German first division Bundesliga football match FC Union Berlin v FC Bayern Munich on May 17, 2020 in Berlin, Germany as the season resumed following a two-month absence due to the novel coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by HANNIBAL HANSCHKE / POOL / AFP) / DFL REGULATIONS PROHIBIT ANY USE OF PHOTOGRAPHS AS IMAGE SEQUENCES AND/OR QUASI-VIDEO (Photo by HANNIBAL HANSCHKE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Bayern Munich's German midfielder Serge Gnabry (R) attempts to score past Union Berlin's Polish goalkeeper Rafal Gikiewicz during the German first division Bundesliga football match FC Union Berlin v FC Bayern Munich on May 17, 2020 in Berlin, Germany as the season resumed following a two-month absence due to the novel coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by HANNIBAL HANSCHKE / POOL / AFP) / DFL REGULATIONS PROHIBIT ANY USE OF PHOTOGRAPHS AS IMAGE SEQUENCES AND/OR QUASI-VIDEO (Photo by HANNIBAL HANSCHKE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) /
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BERLIN, GERMANY – MAY 17: Anthony Ujah of Union Berlin in action with Bayern Munich’s Thiago during the Bundesliga match between 1. FC Union Berlin and FC Bayern Muenchen at Stadion An der Alten Foersterei on May 17, 2020 in Berlin, Germany. The Bundesliga and Second Bundesliga is the first professional league to resume the season after the nationwide lockdown due to the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. All matches until the end of the season will be played behind closed doors. (Photo by Hannibal Hanschke/Pool via Getty Images)
BERLIN, GERMANY – MAY 17: Anthony Ujah of Union Berlin in action with Bayern Munich’s Thiago during the Bundesliga match between 1. FC Union Berlin and FC Bayern Muenchen at Stadion An der Alten Foersterei on May 17, 2020 in Berlin, Germany. The Bundesliga and Second Bundesliga is the first professional league to resume the season after the nationwide lockdown due to the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. All matches until the end of the season will be played behind closed doors. (Photo by Hannibal Hanschke/Pool via Getty Images) /

Honorable mentions

Union Berlin deserves a lot of credit for keeping Bayern quiet for the majority of the game. A lot of people expected them to sit back and defend, and they did that, but more importantly, they pressed Bayern hard and disrupted their game. With little bit luck in their favour, they would have gone ahead during the promising 20-minute spell at the start of the game. It was a welcome sight to see a team put pressure Bayern and force them to rethink their strategy to get the victory.

Like almost everyone else, Bayern’s midfield looked flat. Joshua Kimmich and Thiago Alcantara, who are the heart of the Bayern engine, weren’t very sharp and often had bad touches or poor passes. They will improve with game time, but they lacked that special quality that makes their pairing world-class.

The wingers couldn’t find their form in the final third. Serge Gnabry looked threatening but didn’t have the instinctual shooting touch he had two months ago. Hopefully, he will soon return to his best form in the next few weeks.

dark. Next. Cuisance remains optimistic about future at Bayern Munich

Meanwhile, Kingsley Coman showed promise with blistering pace on the right flank, but poor execution in the box. At this point, seeing him get a goal or assist would be a surprise, and that in itself is shocking. The Frenchman needs to step up in the final games of the season.