Four observations from Bayern’s Telekom cup win

Bayern Munich won the Telekom cup! Two games, both won on penalties and zero goals scored. It wasn’t much of a show, but it was interesting to watch what Niko Kovač has in store for us in the future. Here are some observations:

Defense looked shaky

During the first game, Fortuna Düsseldorf countered Bayern’s attacks and had some very good chances. In most of those situations, Bayern’s defense should have done a better job. You’ll remember the last time these two teams faced each other in the Bundesliga, Dodi Lukebakio exploited every defensive mistake and scored a hat-trick. Fortuna will probably also feel a bit aggrieved by the referee, who failed to award what looked like a clear penalty. With a defensive backline of Niklas Süle, Lars Lukas Mai, David Alaba and Joshua Kimmich, the defense should have been more stable.

Attacking frailty

Bayern were the only team that failed to score a single goal tonight, which tells you a lot about our attacking state. In the first game, Robert Lewandowski was cut off from most of his teammates, and it resulted in him playing more as a midfielder than striker. In the second game, Bayern had few good chances. The most notable one was a header by Sandro Wagner after an amazing cross from Jeong. Failing to capitalize on chances and scoring zero goals is bit worrying.

None like Thiago Alcantara!

In the first game, Bayern struggled to create promising chances and keep possession. In the second game, Thiago’s presence was very noticeable. He controlled the tempo and was the creative drive in the midfield for the game, but he was also very active defensively. His vision and ability to control the game are probably what keeps Bayern going. He deserved Meister of the Match award more than anyone and captained his team well.

Youngsters put on a solid performance

Today, we saw few youngsters playing, and most of them impressed. It was certainly very interesting to watch Alphonso Davies playing his first match for Bayern. One game = one trophy. Not bad at all. He showed that he has what it takes to succeed. Davies had a few good dribbles and proved that he possesses speed that will allow him to outrun most players. He should work on his first touch and final ball, but that will come in time. Woo-yeong Jeong also had his moments, such as the superb cross mentioned earlier. He also had a good shot that he may have had passed. And finally, Alexander Lungwitz, who played as left-back, was quite active and conspicuous when Bayern attacked throughout the game. It will be very interesting to watch how these youngsters develop.