Bayern Munich: Takeaways from narrow win over Sevilla

Build-up play was lethargic in the absence of Thiago

In the European games, Die Roten did shuffle the midfield composition last season. Joshua Kimmich used to play a deeper role in the Bundesliga, while Thiago Alcantara was the number six in European games. Last Friday, Thiago’s absence was not felt as Kimmich dominated the proceedings against Schalke, but the game against Sevilla was completely different.

Kimmich was not poor by any means, but he was not providing the edge in the center of the park when Sevilla were pressing aggressively higher up the pitch. It also affected Die Roten’s approach to the game initially as they had to go long rather than build-up play patiently from the back.

Sevilla was able to win the ball on turnovers and create chances in the final third. They did manage to get the lead, but the aggressive pressing was unlikely to last the whole game. Rekordmeister got the hold of the play and eventually started dominating the Spanish side.

Despite the win, Flick will be looking to find a solution to this problem in Champions League games this season. Thiago’s best performances came in the biggest games in Europe last season. Kimmich may have to improve his passing while beating the press since it is unlikely that the club will dip into the market for a midfielder. It will be interesting to see how Flick overcomes this tactical challenge.