On Saturday evening, Bayern Munich drew 1-1 at home to the reigning champions Bayer Leverkusen at the Allianz Arena. Let's take a look at the main takeaways from the game, and what we learned.
The first thing that has become clear in the aftermath of this game - is that Bayern Munich should be the favourites for the Bundesliga this season. Leverkusen may have lost their long unbeaten run this season, when they were beaten by RB Leipzig - but that game could have gone either way.
Domestically, when was the last time a team made Leverkusen look so poor, and timid? They were playing like a mid-table Bundesliga side, who had marked Bayern away in the calendar, and treated it like a cup final.
Xabi Alonso's side had three shots. One was the goal from outside the box, one was essentially a clearance from Boniface, and one was a timid shot from Tella late on.
Bayern Munich defense shines in 1-1 draw against Bayer Leverkusen
Without having the stats to hand, you cannot imagine when was the last time Leverkusen had just three shots in one football game. The likes of Vincent Kompany and Harry Kane had said before the game that Bayern do not change their style for anyone, and they backed it up here, even if the result does not show it.
Despite his flaws, Alphonso Davies has been crucial to the style of play under Kompany so far. When Bayern lose the ball, they are so quick to win it back. Davies' athleticism is key to that. So many times, he is able to step up and help squeeze the ball, as well as managing to stop counters on his own. He is the only Bayern play capable of matching Frimpong for pace, and he did that many times.
Kim Min-jae and Dayot Upamecano are forming a serious duo in central defense. Whether down to injuries or lack of form, Bayern never really had a settled defensive duo last season, at least not consistently. Kim and Upa look to have built some serious chemistry so far, with only three shots conceded in the last 180 minutes of football - totaling 0.07xG.
Both players have been seriously impressive so far this season, with Joshua Kimmich praising the duo in his post-match interview, mentioning how hard their job is to defend so much space. However, Bayern will have to manage Kim's minutes in particular if they want this to continue.