Bayern Munich Opposition Form Report | September 20-21, 2014

Bundesliga

SC Paderborn 07 (2-0) Hannover 96

1-0 SCP: Elias Kachunga (71')
2-0 SCP: Moritz Stoppelkamp (90')

André Breitenreiter's sit-and-counter strategy has helped Paderborn grind out eight points in four matches, tied with Bayern, Mainz, and Hoffenheim. He understands that his team will have a tough time keeping possession, so instead he sets them up in a way to take advantage of open field in front of them while condensing the space behind them. Kachunga has thrived under this system, the forward scoring three goals in four matches for Paderborn. Struggling with a conservative Hamburg side, Bayern will try to be the first to unlock Breitenreiter's tactics.

Paderborn XI (4-4-2): Kruse – Heinloth (Kutschke 71'), Strohdiek, Hünemeier, Brückner – Wemmer, Ziegler, Vrančić, Stoppelkamp – Kachunga (Vucinovic 89'), Koc (Bakalorz 79')

UEFA Champions League

Manchester City (1-1) Chelsea

0-1 CFC: André Schürrle (71')
1-1 MCFC: Frank Lampard (85')

The Citizens rose to the occasion despite their legs undoubtedly tired from the midweek grind with Bayern. Chelsea parked the bus and forced Manchester City to use every ounce of attacking muster, and City threw as many numbers forward as they could. Vincent Kompany grappled with Diego Costa, keeping the Spanish addition off the scoresheet for the first time this season, and Eliaquim Mangala had a fantastic debut giving Martín Demichelis a rest. Zabaleta's sending off changed the match, but their resilience shone through, something that will be key for them in the Champions League.

Man. City XI (4-4-2): Hart – Zabaleta, Kompany, Mangala, Kolarov (Lampard 78') – Milner, Fernandinho (Navas 73'), Touré, Nasri – Agüero, Džeko (Sagna 70')

AS Roma (2-0) Cagliari

1-0 Roma: Mattia Destro (10')
2-0 Roma: Alessandro Florenzi (13')

Two blitzing starts from the Giallorossi drove them towards six valuable points in the Champions League and in the Serie A. Their desire shone through their work rate and their relentlessness, players tracking back and advancing forward to support the defense and the attack. The runs were precise and the service was superb, and the personnel almost did not matter. What they struggled with is sitting back when they needed to, something they will have to do against Bayern.

Roma XI (4-3-3): De Sanctis – Maicon, Manolas, Yanga-Mbiwa, Cole – Nianggolan, De Rossi, Kéita – Florenzi, Destro, Gervinho

CSKA Moskva (1-0) Lokomotiv Moskva 

1-0 CSKA: Ahmed Musa (33')

In victory and defeat, what was prevalent this week was what drives CSKA to defend. In the Russian Premier League, they normally do not have to, for other teams afford them the ball. For that reason, when they are forced in to situations where they do, the attacking players either do not have a desire or do not recognize they have to track back and close down the ball. When the match is on the line, CSKA seems to step it up a notch, but normally that is not the case. The space they gifted to Roma they re-gifted to Lokomotiv a few times, the difference being that Alexandr Samedov could not finish in the ways that Gervinho could.

CSKA XI (4-2-3-1): Akinfeev – Mario Fernandes, V. Berezutski, Ignashevich, Schennikov – Natcho, Wernbloom – Tošić (Milanov 72'), Eremenko (Panchenko 90+3'), Musa – Doumbia (Dzagoev 46')

DFB-Pokal

Hamburg SV (0-0) Bayern Munich

For a manager that took over a team three days prior, Josef Zinnbauer deployed the best tactics he could to mask the greater problems at Hamburg. He did not depend on a build up play that was lacking any continuity in matches prior. Instead, he asked his team to press high and win the ball in a good attacking position. Once players like Tolgay Arslan and Zoltan Stieber did, scoring chances came with Bayern's numbers on the wrong end of the pitch. It will now be interesting to watch what happens in this next stretch of fixtures against top-half Bundesliga sides.

Hamburg XI (4-2-3-1): Drobný, Diekmeier, Djourou, Westermann, Ostrzolek – Behrami, Arslan – Müller, Holtby, Stieber – Lasogga