Bayern Munich: Julian Nagelsmann pleased with defense against Leverkusen
Normality resumed for Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga after the international. After a first winless run of four games in the Bundesliga since 2000, Die Roten bounced back with a win against Bayer Leverkusen on Friday at Allianz Arena. The victory against Leverkusen temporarily lifted them to the second position in the points table.
Goals from Thomas Muller, Leroy Sane, Jamal Musiala, and Sadio Mane helped Bayern to clinch a comfortable 4-0 win against Leverkusen. The defending Bundesliga champions dominated the game and consistently mounted pressure on Leverkusen’s defense.
At the other end of the pitch, Bayern was solid as they didn’t concede clear-cut chances to the visiting team. It could well be their most complete performance of the season from a defensive perspective. Apart from one save, Manuel Neuer was hardly troubled during the game on Friday.
The attacking quartet took the plaudits for their exploits in the final third on Friday. However, Julian Nagelsmann had special praise for the team from a defensive point of view. While talking to the media after the game (via iMiaSanMia), Nagelsmann praised the center-back partnership of Dayot Upamecano and Matthijs de Ligt for keeping Leverkusen at bay.
"“Upa and Matthijs defended very well today. We only conceded one big chance. When I see the guys celebrating defensive actions, that’s cool. These actions are almost more important to me than goals.”"
Upamecano and de Ligt excelled on and off the ball against Leverkusen. Both defenders were very good at snuffing dangers and keeping Patrick Schick out of the game for most of the 90 minutes. The individual and collective performance against Leverkusen will boost the confidence of both defenders since they had a difficult international break.
Apart from the central defenders, Benjamin Pavard and Alphonso Davies also did a fine job in the full-back positions against Leverkusen. Meanwhile, Joshua Kimmich provided better discipline in the number six position to provide solidity to the team when Leverkusen had the ball.
Bayern has struggled defensively for most of the games in 2022. Poor defensive awareness cost them a place in the Champions League semi-final last season as they were knocked out by Villarreal in the quarterfinal. Julian Nagelsmann will be hoping that they maintain this defensive solidity in the upcoming games and build a platform to go on a winning run across all competitions.
Next. Takeaways from convincing victory against Leverkusen. dark
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After the win against Leverkusen, Bayern will switch their attention to the Champions League clash against Viktoria Plzen on Saturday. Die Roten won their first two group games against Inter Milan and Barcelona, so a victory against Plzen for Bayern will be a big step towards sealing a spot in the round of 16.