High-line defense vulnerable without Upamecano and Davies
Jonathan Burkardt’s near miss from close range, in the 13th minute, following a swift counter-attack was a sign of things to come. In this passage of play that led to the chance, the Mainz striker outraced Eric Dier from inside his half. Fortunately for Bayern, Kim never gave up on the play and he made up sufficient ground and managed to do just enough to put Burkardt off and his shot went off the target. This passage of play exposed Dier’s lack of pace and unsuitability for the high-line defensive strategy.
Neither Guerreiro nor Dier possess the pace and recovery ability of Davies and Upamecano. Playing together in defense they are more a liability than an asset in a high-line strategy. Kompany's style of play has been a breath of fresh air for the Bavarian faithful, but he needs the right personnel to execute it perfectly. Days like Saturday will happen if the Belgian doesn't have players of similar profile in defense.