Three observations on Bayern Munich's 1-0 loss to Real Madrid

Arturo Vidal has no chill/off switch

Right from the opening whistle, Arturo Vidal went full throttle going after every ball, challenging every run in his zone and fighting for possession non stop. While it is encouraging to see that he has plenty of fight in him, especially given that this was a relatively meaningless friendly, I worry about him lasting a full Bundesliga/Champions League/DFB Pokal year without collecting an injury or two.

Julian Green Is Basically A Poor Man's Thomas Müller

Before the riots break out, allow me to defend that seemingly ridiculous statement. Both players are the type who always show up in just the right space at just the right time to create a scoring chance. Julian Green does not do any one thing masterfully well, but he is good enough in many areas, the most important being his work rate, to be a contributor. Like Thomas, he shows an understanding of how to use the space given to him to weave through defenders. He has shown a new level of confidence in his play during this ICC that hasn't been seen since he scored his first World Cup goal against Belgium in 2014.

Pep Has A Lingering Effect On Bayern

The first half of this match, Bayern played a style very reminiscent of Pep Ball, winning possession, dictating the tempo, and limiting Real's counter attack capability. In the second half, after Carlo Ancelotti subbed on a few of the youngsters that style definitely mutated a bit, but it seems as if the overall philosophy on game day might be relatively unchanged this year from last year. Bayern's maestros of the midfield will still control the possession numbers and the attack will most likely come from the wings with Robert Lewandowski and Muller finishing in the middle. The backline will still have it's question marks and Manuel Neuer will still be a wall.