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FT: 2-0 to Bayern, and the first clean sheet in ages. Here are some initial quick reactions from the game:
- Thomas Muller is far too ineffective when played together with Philippe Coutinho in midfield. Once the Brazilian was subbed, he was able to move back to his preferred spot and set up two goals.
- Coutinho may have been unlucky a couple of times, but this was yet another game against decent opposition where he failed to show up. Worrying.
- Joshua Zirkzee is such a baller.
- The referee was terrible and inconsistent.
- Ivan Perisic is poor in possession, he needs to shape up because his current performances do not warrant making his contract permanent.
- Bayern need some winter transfers, this squad is almost dead.
90’— Dajaku comes on! Yet another debut!
87’— GNAAAABRY SCORES!!!! 2-0 !!! That should be it!! Fantastic build-up from Muller who lofts it to Lewandowski who gives it to Gnabry who finishes it off!! BAYERN!!!!!
85’— GOOOOOOOOOOAAAL GOOOOAAAL GOOOOAAAAL GOOOOOAL!!!!! ZIRKZEE ZIIIIIRKZEEEE!!!! WHAT A MAN!!!!! Great pass from Muller, ZIRKZEE hammers it in!! WHAT A FINISH FROM THE YOUNG LAD!!!
83’— Leipzig has turned it around, they’re winning with 2-1.
82’— Zirkzee comes on for Coutinho
81’— Zirkzee is about to come on! More of the same please lad!
80’— Arnold has another great chance... this game is far from over but Wolfsburg deserves to be in the game.
75’— Must give credit to Wolfsburg in this game, they’ve been tactically excellent today.
72’— Wolfsburg has a shot that is deflected and goes out for a corner... could of been deflected in their favour...
70’— 20 minutes remaining, Bayern are dominating but have failed to create a clear cut chance in a while.
65’— Wolfsburg has dropped deeper, understandably. Bayern does not look closer to scoring than they did 5 minutes ago.
60’— Bayern controls possession more and looks like a touch away from scoring, still 0-0.
55’— Change for Wolfsburg, their first of the game: Gerhardt comes on for Schlager
52’— First chance from Bayern this second half, Coutinho shots from outside the box but Casteels does a fantastic save... he’s been great today.
49’— Schlager has a chance, Wolfsburg has started the second half well...
46’— Massive chance for Wolfsburg after Kimmich loses the ball...Santos Sa is centimetres away from getting a touch which would of led to goal...
46’— Second half is on the way! Let’s go Bayern!
Halftime observations:
- Lacklustre performance from Bayern. Football is a simple game, if you don’t convert your chances you can’t win.
- Bayern has played better than Wolfsburg, yet Glasner’s men at times look dangerous. They have done their job this half and will go into the second full of belief.
- I stressed and stressed depth this summer yet Bayern’s small squad keeps getting smaller. Javi Martinez looked seriously hurt.
- Leipzig are losing at home to Augsburg, Bayern needs to win this.
45’— Boateng will come on for Martinez who looks like he is in a lot of pain...
45’— Javi Martinez looks injured..
44’— Alphonso Davies has the potential to become the best player in the world.
42’— Maximilian Arnold has a shot that just goes over the bar.
41’— Lewandowski gets the ball in a dangerous position but decides to pass it to Coutinho, should of shot himself... Coutinho blasts the ball over the bar.
40’— Overall pretty lacklustre from Bayern from the first 40 minutes - we’ve seen this match picture before this season - Bayern the better team but fails to convert their chances.
38’— Kimmich has a shot with the left, doesn’t get the power behind it and never bothers Casteels.
36’—
Stats:
- 71/29% possession to Bayern
- 7-1 shots to Bayern
- 0-0 the score
34’— Wolfsburg is still in the game but apart from Klaus’s golden opportunity, they’ve had nothing. Bayern are playing well but need to convert their many chances.
32’— Gnabry has another chance but yet again a Wolfsburg leg denies the German international to give Bayern the lead.
28’— Gnabry has a chance that is deflected by a Wolfsburg man... so many chances...
26’— Yet another chance for Bayern, Coutinho has a shot that Lewandowski is close to deflect it for a Bayern goal... Bayern are playing well
25’— Muller has a shot just wide, Bayern are playing better and are getting closer.
22’— Alaba has a dangerous free-kick and forces Casteels to a beautiful one-hand save.
17’— Not an optimal first 17 minutes from Bayern, both teams have had one chance each, although Klaus will be kicking himself he did not score. Wolfsburg plays smart and so far are in the game.
15’— Neuer does a fantastic one-on-one save against Felix Klaus... should of been 0-1 for the visitors.
14’— Perisic gets close for the game’s first chance, Casteels does well.
10’— Nothing worth of note has happened in the first ten minutes. Predictable style of play from both sides. Bayern dominating possession while Wolfsburg is trying to keep a clean sheet for the first minutes of the game.
6’— Will be interesting to see how a injured Bayern Munich squad will get on against an inconsistent Wolfsburg side. The starting eleven is strong enough to win comfortably but the bench is looking very thin. Would be fun to see highly regarded talents such as Dajaku or Zirkzee get the chance to play.
0’— KICKOFF IN MUNICH!!! Boateng is Bayern’s only senior player on the bench, could this be another game for the Säbenerstrasse youngsters to shine?
One hour until kickoff: We have lineups!
Unsere Aufstellung für das letzte Spiel des Jahres! #FCBWOB #packmas pic.twitter.com/GbG3MoMdvl
— FC Bayern München (@FCBayern) December 21, 2019
It’s the final game of the Hinrunde, an it couldn’t come sooner for Bayern Munich. The Bavarians are limping along on their last legs, with only just enough players left to field a proper starting XI.
Wolfsburg will fancy their chances this time around, given that they already took points off Gladbach, Schalke, and Leipzig this season. It’ll be up to Robert Lewandowski and his motley crew to prevent another upset — Serge Gnabry, Thomas Muller, and Philippe Coutinho should all be itching for goals.
And goals will be needed, given the state of the midfield. With Thiago Alcantara, Leon Goretzka, and Corentin Tolisso all out, Joshua Kimmich will have to play as the lone midfielder, and Javi Martinez will be behind him in central defense. This game clearly isn’t going to be easy.
It’s Bayern time.
Match Info
Location: Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany
Time: 3:30 pm local time, 9:30 am EST
TV/streaming: Fubo.tv, Find Your Country
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