A ruthless 10-minute spell instantly after half-time helped Bayern Munich beat Barcelona on the Allianz Area, with targets from Lucas Hernandez and Leroy Sane sealing three factors for Julian Nagelsmann’s facet.
Barcelona dominated the primary half however Robert Lewandowski did not make Bayern pay on his return to Munich. Regardless of the Bayern head coach Nagelsmann stated on the break did the trick — by the 54th minute they have been two targets forward, first a header by Hernandez after which a neat end from Sane.
Dermot Corrigan, Seb Stafford-Bloor and Liam Tharme analyse the important thing speaking factors from Bayern’s win…
The intricacies of Bayern’s assaults
Stafford-Bloor: It would seem to be a churlish level to make after such an necessary win, however it’s attention-grabbing to look at the evolving id of this Bayern assault and the struggles it faces. That was a conclusion from the weekend draw with Stuttgart and once more towards Barcelona this night.
Quite a bit has to go nicely for them to attain. Whereas earlier than they may rely on the inevitability of Lewandowski – arguably one of many best close-range, one-touch finishers soccer has ever seen – now they’re extra a group of interlocking parts.
Their power is that Sadio Mane, Thomas Muller, Leroy Sane and Jamal Musiala can function in lots of the similar areas, can interchange positions and have ability units that each overlap and distinction. However that may be a weak point, too, as a result of with out the definition of Lewandowski – a reference level round which to orbit – Bayern’s attacking system relies upon totally on chemistry, timing and understandings which haven’t fairly shaped.
That time was made most vividly by Mane’s unwitting block from Muller within the first half, however on a number of different events too, when the Allianz Area crowd have been left audibly annoyed by the crossed wires in assault.
It’s pertinent as a result of that is in all probability the problem that can outline their season. Both it should cease them reaching what they will, or be the explanation why they win what they do.
The Alonso and Christensen gamble backfired
Corrigan: Xavi’s large calls to start out each former Chelsea defenders Marcos Alonso and Andreas Christensen ended up costing Barca badly.
After spending a lot of the summer season in limbo, Alonso has to date performed solely 12 minutes in La Liga, when the sport was already received towards Cadiz final weekend. That lack of latest aggressive motion appeared clear when Bayern opened the scoring. Alonso was simply outmanoeuvred by Hernandez at a nook, leaving his man utterly free to go dwelling from contained in the six-yard field.
Proper place ✅
Proper time ✅Lucas Hernandez arrives on the near-post and heads dwelling Joshua Kimmich’s nook ⚽️#UCL pic.twitter.com/p8gRGgeasN
— Soccer on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) September 13, 2022
Christensen was not less than at Barca for all of pre-season, and began their first three video games of the season. Xavi had appeared to then favour Eric Garcia at left-sided centre half, however informed Spanish TV earlier than kick-off on Tuesday that he had most popular Christensen for this recreation resulting from his peak.
It was then an absence of spatial consciousness and nimbleness throughout the bottom that value Barca for Bayern’s second objective, as Christensen made no problem in any respect and Sane accelerated away from him, motoring by an enormous gap within the defence earlier than ending well.
LOOK AT THAT SPEED! 💨
Leroy Sane doubles the lead for Bayern Munich with an incredible burst between the Barcelona defenders 😱#UCL pic.twitter.com/sdC1eEoxiZ
— Soccer on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) September 13, 2022
After conceding simply twice of their first six video games of the season in whole, Barca conceded two in 4 minutes, and the sport was misplaced.
Lewandowski’s irritating return in entrance of objective
Stafford-Bloor: The headline is that he didn’t rating, however there was each cause to really feel inspired by what he promised to be for Barcelona at this degree. A few first-half possibilities ought to have been put away and one other was nicely saved by Neuer, however his most attention-grabbing moments got here in provide.
Intriguing, actually, as a result of they described which model of himself he’s going to be at Barcelona. The lovable little set-up for an opportunity that Raphinha pulled narrowly broad, the contact on the midway line that sprung Dembele in the beginning of the second half, the fragile by ball from which Pedri ought to have scored; these have been from {the catalogue} of his later years at Bayern, throughout which he resolved to turn into a extra team-oriented participant and never solely about accumulation of targets.
That’s nice information for Barcelona. It meant nothing tonight, however it’s the sort of best-of-both-worlds state of affairs which guarantees to make their exorbitant funding look midway good.
The Barcelona press labored brilliantly (for 45 minutes)
Tharme: Barcelona’s dominance of the primary half owed loads to the execution of their urgent plan. It was dangerous, with Gavi pushing up alongside Lewandowski to create a entrance 4 with wingers Raphinha and Ousmane Dembele.
Pre-match, Julian Nagelsmann burdened that “this (Barcelona) is an lively staff, with counter-pressing that may be very paying homage to when Xavi was a participant.” He could have been in a position to predict the press however Nagelsmann managed to do little to interrupt it within the opening 45 minutes.
Groups can get out by taking part in spherical, by, or over the press. Barca pressed shortly when passes have been made to both full-back and on return passes to Manuel Neuer — so there was no method across the press.
Sergio Busquets, 14 years on from his debut, and Pedri occupied Marcel Sabitzer and Joshua Kimmich — so there isn’t a method by the press. At instances, Busquets would break form and press the line of defense too.
Bayern’s personnel made it troublesome to play over, underlining the absence of Lewandowski to this facet. When Neuer did kick lengthy, Bayern have been outnumbered, three towards the Barca again 4. However they lacked the aerial presence to compete and win duels, with Barca first to second balls too — no method over the press.
However such depth is not possible to take care of, significantly with the ageing Lewandowski and Busquets — each aged 34. Much less Barca depth equalled extra time for Bayern to make selections and execute good passes.
Nagelsmann’s facet performed by Barca centrally to create the second objective, because the graphic beneath reveals. Strong traces are passes and dashed ones are carries. Mild blue circles are the Bayern gamers and darkish blue ones present defensive actions by Barcelona gamers.
Who have been the winners and losers within the midfield battle?
Stafford-Bloor: It’s too simplistic to say that the sport modified when Leon Goretzka was launched, however Bayern do at all times really feel like a distinct facet when he’s alongside Joshua Kimmich. Within the first half, Kimmich and Marcel Sabitzer have been pressed into oblivion by Barcelona. That depth was by no means prone to final 90 minutes, however Goretzka’s default setting is proactive – he goes ahead, he shoots, he advances the ball. He’s an old style box-to-box participant in that method, and embodies the sort of qualities that change momentum in video games.
They definitely did this night and, mixed, all that forcefulness was the catalyst for a distinct sort of Bayern efficiency. The nook from which they scored was pressured by a shot he took lower than 5 minutes after approaching. From that second onwards, with the sport state modified, Kimmich regarded just like the “sit, scheme and unfold” participant that he’s within the Bundesliga and his staff grew to become comfortably superior.
Corrigan: Barca’s midfield trio had a lot the higher of the primary half — each on and off the ball. Busquets used his expertise to organise, whereas Gavi coated an enormous quantity of floor.
However Pedri actually stood out, holding the ball to take stress off his defence, filtering passes by to the entrance three, being denied by Neuer’s early wonderful save, studying a Bayern break to intercept when Busquets was caught up discipline. A neat move additionally arrange an opportunity for Lewandowski, however Noussair Mazraoui got here out of nowhere to dam.
Pedri accomplished 32 of 34 passes first half however then two quickfire Bayern targets turned the sport utterly. Pedri tried to spark a Barca comeback, displaying pretty dancing toes to open up an opportunity, however his clipped shot over Neuer kissed the put up.
His staff could have misplaced, however Pedri was by far the very best midfielder on present.
Did switching the wingers value Barcelona?
Tharme: At his Barca unveiling, Xavi stated: “You’ll see wingers. I need to play with broad wingers.”
For the primary half-hour on the Allianz Area, Ousmane Dembele and Raphinha have been each taking part in broad however crucially inverted — the previous two-footed however working on the left and the latter a left-footer on the proper.
Positionally each hugged the touchline, which gave them loads of house to obtain a ahead move after which run straight, inside, in direction of objective. This manipulated the Bayern again line and created house for overlapping full-backs, significantly Alonso down the left.
However Raphinha was struggling defensively towards Alphonso Davies and Xavi switched him with Dembele after half an hour.
On the other flank to the place they began, each have been much less inclined to dribble inside and as an alternative have been extra conservative, in all probability as a result of they must dribble previous the sturdy facet of the opposition full-back (i.e., left facet of a left-back).
After a robust begin to the sport, Barca misplaced their grip and Bayern took management.
Extra contributors: Seb Stafford-Bloor and Liam Tharme
(Picture: CHRISTOF STACHE/AFP by way of Getty Pictures)