Tweaking the pressing
Bayern was leading 2-1 at halftime. The second goal was a consequence of the brilliant pressing from the team that led to a penalty. But the one Bayern conceded also came from the overly aggressive high-press that backfired when Chelsea managed to break free and turn the field.
In the first half, Bayern regularly pushed into Chelsea's defensive third with the desire to recover the ball as quickly as possible. An aggressive one-on-one pressing system saw both the midfield pivots and the center-back duo deep into the opposition's territory. Bayern aimed to shut down all the short passing options and forced long balls. This plan worked seamlessly in the first half hour. But when Chelsea grasped the tempo of the game and began to build up well from the back, the glaring hole behind Kimmich and Pavlovic was frequently exploited. Luckily, the defense held up well until the end of the half.
In the second half, Bayern continued to high-press Chelsea, but with a few changes. Aleksandar Pavlovic and later Leon Goretzka did not seem to follow their designated matchup too closely. Rather, they maintained a soft shell and a tighter distance from the backline. Instead of having both midfielders join the pressing, Kompany only used one at a time, with the other working as a spy and ball hawk looking for misplaced passes. Upamecano and Kim also pushed up frequently, but only when the fullbacks are well-positioned to fill in their gaps. This minor adjustment in the off-the-ball phase gave Bayern greater compactness and reduced the pocket of space for Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro to operate in.