Bayern Munich's draw against Mainz 05 raises questions about the club's defensive issues. A heap of wasted chances led to a near-death experience for Die Roten at home against last-place Mainz 05. Harry Kane came up at the right moment to salvage a point, but it was far from an encouraging performance.
The biggest concern was not the efficiency of the attack, as the opposition's keeper, Daniel Batz, pulled eight outstanding saves. It was Bayern's poor defensive structure that cost the supposedly easy victory.
Vincent Kompany decided to rest three core players in the defense in the centre-half pairing of Dayot Upamecano and Jonathan Tah, as well as Konrad Laimer. The Asian duo of Kim Min-jae and Hiroki Ito started for the first time together at the heart of the defense.
The first half saw little trouble for the backline, but once again, a set-piece play proved why it has been Bayern's Achilles heel throughout the season. Kim and Ito let Kacper Potulski run unmarked to head it easily into Manuel Neuer's net from close range. The unexpected equaliser turned the game into a complicated one for Vincent Kompany. He turned to more offensive-minded fullbacks and pulled Josip Stanisic into the centre. Not only did it not help Bayern improve their attacks, but it also dug a hole in the defense. Stanisic's poor marking allowed Lee Jae-sung to score the header.
Areas to improve immediately
Those two defensive errors against Mainz 05 have highlighted two crucial issues that need to be addressed as soon as possible.
Set-piece defense
The obvious one is defending set-pieces. Bayern has been one of the worst teams in the league at defending corners and free kicks this season. Aaron Danks' offensive scheme might be working, but his defensive setup needs a lot of revision during the winter break.
We broke down the key errors that frequently caused Bayern in dead-ball situations before the Arsenal clash in the Champions League. It is also worth mentioning that Bayern does not have the physical profiles to match aerial coverage, especially Dayot Upamecano.
The Frenchman is one of the most dominant stoppers and ground duelers in the world. Yet, his aerial win percentage this season is less than 50%, which suggests he is frequently beaten in the air.
Jonathan Tah and Kim Min-jae can help out Upamecano playing in partnership, but they cannot support the whole team in corners. Apart from them, only two regular starters for Bayern win more than 50% of aerial duels. The set-piece threat has improved in recent matches, but it still came back to haunt Bayern from time to time.
Misprofiling players in defense
Bayern has a reasonably decent depth in all areas of the defense, enhanced by the versatility of many players. However, after many trials and errors, it is fair to conclude that some players should play in their natural position rather than being shifted around the line. The second half of the season will not be the time to "throw mud at the wall and see what sticks."
Hiroki Ito has been brilliant as a defensive left-back. He is good in build up and long passes. The Japanese international should be utilised on the left rather than as a centre-half, where he sometimes lacks the aggression and aerial presence.
Talking about left-back, Tom Bischof should never play in this position again. The young German star is a more than decent rotational piece in midfield instead of Leon Goretzka. He always looks lost in the build-up playing as a left-back, since it is not his preferred position.
Similar to Hiroki Ito, Josip Stanisic should play on either flank, where his aggression can help him be a pest to the opponent's best winger. The Croatian defender needs to improve on his marking and awareness to be able to play more centrally.
Stats courtesy- Fbref and Sofascore