Are full-back positions cause for concern at Bayern Munich?

Sacha Boey needs to make the most of the opportunities

On matchday one, Sacha Boey didn’t have a terrible game against Wolfsburg, but it was his mistake at the start of the second half that paved the way for the hosts to get back into the game through a penalty. All isn’t lost on Boey after just two rounds of matches, but it can’t be overlooked that Kimmich for Boey at right-back, on matchday two, wasn’t simply a case of squad rotation to ease João Palhinha into the starting lineup. Instead, against Freiburg, Kompany changed the formation from a 4-2-3-1 to a 4-1-4-1 with Jamal Musiala and Michael Olise as a double-ten pairing just behind Harry Kane in attack, whilst Aleksandar Pavlovic was the lone defensive midfielder.

Since Palhinha didn’t replace Pavlovic until the last quarter hour of regulation time, it suggests that the change was more about Boey than anyone else. With Josip Stanisic not expected back from injury at least until October, the 23-year-old French defender still has time to make the right-back position his own.

Meanwhile, Joshua Kimmich has been recently appointed Germany’s Captain while being fully entrenched as the national team’s right back. It’s not unreasonable for Vincent Kompany, Julian Nagelsmann, and Joshua Kimmich to see eye-to-eye about playing in the right-back position for club and country. Only time will tell if that is the case. In any event, Boey needs to come to terms with what is needed and expected of him sooner rather than later. Failure to do so will raise concerns over his long-term future in Bavaria.