5 observations from Bayern Munich’s 1-1 win vs. Hoffenheim

Though they are still unbeaten in the Bundesliga season, Bayern Munich’s draw against Hoffenheim did not seem like a positive result. Not since the end of the 2013/14 season has Bayern dropped points in two of their last three home games in the league. Hoffenheim deserve a point with the way they defended and caught Bayern on their heels, but the result is certainly unflattering for a team attempting to win a fifth consecutive Bundesliga title. Here are five observations from Bayern's 1-1 draw with Hoffenheim:

Wasteful in their ocean-waste kits

Looking beyond the fact that Bayern looked like a recreational league team in their special uniforms, their performance was as wasteful as the recycled waste their kits were made of. Bayern’s wingers were dispossessed in the final third on multiple occasions, and though Bayern unleashed 23 three crosses, many of them did not lead to anything. Thomas Müller still could not find the back of the net when he came on in the second half, and Mats Hummels fired as many shots in the final 10 minutes than Robert Lewandowski unleashed in the entire game.

Ancelotti changing tactics too late

He is not stuck in the 4-3-3, folks. He even said on Friday that he took off Arjen Robben (to his dismay) to switch to a 4-4-2 and get more service into the penalty area. But like against PSV, Ancelotti switched his tactics in the second half against Hoffenheim, much too late to make a real difference. Having two up front has been formidable for Bayern, especially if those two are Müller and Lewandowski. But switching to that set-up while chasing the winning goal has not worked particularly well for Ancelotti.

Rotating Müller out is not going to get him out of his funk

Müller has had a fantastic footballing career, but he has had several stretches where he appears very average. He is one of those stretches at the moment – still no league goals after ten matchdays. What’s worse about this one is that he doesn’t seem to fit quite right in Ancelotti’s system, but completely removing him from the set-up is not the solution. He has been very dangerous in the final third in other competitions this season, and it is Ancelotti’s job to translate that in the Bundesliga, not just leave him out of the side.

Hoffenheim played for a draw, and that’s a shame

With how dominant Bayern have been in recent years, most clubs in Germany would be happy getting a draw in Allianz Arena. But seeing Hoffenheim, and Cologne before them, sit back and settle for a draw when Bayern were clearly not at their best was a tad underwhelming to see. Stopping Bayern is an accomplishment in and of itself, but teams like Mainz and Gladbach have shown there is an upside to going for the game. That said, it is hard to knock Nagelsmann for setting his team up to match Bayern away from home.

Bayern falling into an international break syndrome

For the second straight month, Bayern have suffered a 1-1 draw at home in the league right before the international break. The two results can be somewhat excusable due to the fact that both results occurred against surprisingly strong Bundesliga opposition and on the back of an exhausting Champions League week. Bayern cannot afford for this to become a trend though. Their next match before a long layoff is against Borussia Dortmund.

a team that could be tied with them on points at the end of Matchday 10, before the winter break.