Bayern Munich defeat Chelsea thanks to Kompany’s tactical adjustments

Bayern Munich’s Champions League opener was nothing short of impressive, defined by Vincent Kompany’s brilliant tactical blueprint.
Vincent Kompany on the sidelines during Bayern Munich vs Chelsea.
Vincent Kompany on the sidelines during Bayern Munich vs Chelsea. | Alex Grimm/GettyImages
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Halftime substitution

Vincent Kompany made a resolute decision to pull Jonathan Tah out of the game at the half-time break. This is a bold and unhinged move from the Belgian head coach. Tah was visibly struggling to contain Joao Pedro, a very skillful player who boasts excellent dribbling in tight spaces. The center-back also does not possess the required recovery speed to match the high-intensity transition. Frequently, Tah had to foul early to get himself out of trouble.

With number 4 already picking up a yellow card and having a foul-prone tendency in unfavourable match-ups, Kompany made the radical decision to sub Kim Min-jae in for the last 45 minutes. The South Korean was solid as a rock, making crucial tackles and interceptions while running all across the backline to cover for his teammates. Most importantly, he essentially marked Joao Pedro out of the game for Bayern. A fully fit Kim Min-jae is always a force to be reckoned with and perhaps a more suitable piece of the puzzle in this system for Vincent Kompany.