Three observations from Bayerns 1:1 tie against Augsburg

An Uncomfortable Start

Bayern started the game off playing Leon Goretzka at Left-Back as Niko Kovac opted to rest David Alaba in the first half. The results were mixed. Bayern struggled to get into the game, and you could tell there was a certain level of discomfort with how the team lined up. While not all this can be blamed on Goretzka, Bayern looked better and much more fluid in the second half after Goretzka was replaced by David Alaba. Bayern turned the ball over less often and were more comfortable going forward.

Still, Goretzka should be commended for jumping in and playing a position he has never played before. This was the first time Goretzka has played in defense in his career, dating back to the U-17 level when he played for Bochum. To go and play on the left side of defense, a position usually reserved for left footed players — and looking decent doing it — is a job well done.

Wasteful in front of goal

On the day, Bayern outshot Augsburg 15-11. Of those 15 shots, Bayern put 8 on target yet managed to put only one in the back of the net. Sandro Wagner was denied on a number of occasions, most notably on an attempt in the 41st minute on the left side of the penalty area, and should have opened his account for the season. Serge Gnabry was also denied by a great save by keeper Andreas Luthe right before the half. Gnabry’s left-footed strike had plenty of pace and accuracy, but Luthe got a strong hand behind the ball and was able to deflect it wide of the goal.

In the second half, Renato Sanches squandered a great opportunity when he was faced one vs one with Luthe but couldn’t place his shot well enough to get it past him. Sanches, though playing well, wasted a number of opportunities. He totaled 5 shots on the day — 2 more than the next Bayern player — many of which came from dangerous locations. His final product just wasn’t there today.

Unusual Errors

Unusual and uncommon errors were Bayern’s demise today. Their passing percentage was lower than usual — 82% as opposed to the 87.1 % they’ve averaged this season. Bayern’s finishing, while not always great, was below their usual standard. To walk away with just one goal today considering the type of chances they had is frustrating.

Finally, Manuel Neuer made a rare error that directly led to Augsburg’s equalizer. Neuer came out to defend the corner and simply missed the ball. The ball fell kindly to Jeffrey Gouweleeuw, whose shot was chested in by none other than former Bayern man Felix Götze. It earned Augsburg a point that, in the end, wasn’t undeserved. They put up a good fight and caused Bayern a lot of frustration, especially in the first half. To lose two points late on a rarity such as a Neuer mistake is disappointing, but sometimes that’s just how these things go.

The positive: Bayern won't have much time to dwell on the result as they’ll be back in action on Friday against Hertha Berlin, who lost 3:1 in Bremen today.