Bayern Munich: Takeaways from 9-2 demolition of Dinamo Zagreb

Raphaël Guerreiro adds great value to the squad

Kompany seemingly took a page from his last coach-Pep Guardiola in deploying Raphaël Guerreiro as an inverted full-back. Guerreiro’s role on the right shared similarities with how João Cancelo was once deployed as a left-back at Manchester City under Guardiola.

Playing Guerreiro at right-back was a masterstroke. Not only did the veteran Portuguese international score the goal of the game with a cracking left-footed half-volley in the 33rd minute to make it 3-0, but he was also arguably Bayern’s best defender on the night. Capable of meaningful contributions as either a wing-back, midfielder, or winger Guerreiro was a shrewd signing when he joined Die Roten on a free transfer in the summer of 2023. Based on this recent performance fans will be hoping that his injury woes are now a thing of the past.

Kompany has selection headache for number six role

On the weekend against Holstein Kiel, João Palhinha played the whole 90 minutes and gave a good account of himself in the process. For that game, Aleksandar Pavlovic was an unused substitute.

Against Dinamo Zagreb, the roles were reversed. The 20-year-old Pavlovic managed to put in a fine shift over 90 minutes. From the coach’s perspective, there is a welcomed selection headache for the number six position. For the players themselves, they each provide one another with a healthy dose of competition. Throughout the season, as long as Kompany continues to push the right buttons with the squad rotation, Bayern will massively benefit on the pitch.