:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67695524/1282546822.5.jpg)
Initial reactions and observations:
- Bayern Munich looked slow and lethargic at times, and only kicked into gear after Lokomotiv scored. Seems like the team have started saving energy for later games.
- Lucas Hernandez really knows how to wind the opponent up, gotta love that about him.
- Robert Lewandowski had a very quiet game, as he was closely marked and didn’t get a chance to shoot. The 4-3-3 leaves him rather isolated in the middle.
- Subbing off Thomas Muller and Leon Goretzka at HT was a miscalculation by Hansi Flick, as the Bavarians quickly lost control of the midfield and therefore the game. The doctrine of “never sub Muller” remains in effect.
- Benjamin Pavard had a good game offensively — maybe this is the start of the Frenchman’s attacking renaissance.
Full-time — Thankfully , this one is over! Bayern wins 2-1. Credit to Lokomotiv...
88’ — Live shot of the author of the Live Blog:
78’ — Goal!!! Joshua Kimmich’s dramatic volley from deep has given Bayern Munich a 2-1 lead, but this one is not over! Buckle up!!!
76’ — Ze Luis just missed wide on a shot and missed a wide open teammate. Bayern...you there?
75’ — Anyone have a beer?
73’ — A free kick for Bayern was taken by Lewandowski, but he drilled it in to the wall.
72’ — The overruled PK and Coman missing a wide-open Lewandowski both sting A LOT right now.
69’ — Goal! Miranchuk just tied the game at 1-1 off a nicely placed pass from Ze Luis. Not good...not good at all.
68’ — Coman just lifted a shot over the crossbar...but he missed a wide open Lewandowski. Douglas Costa then came on for Coman.
67’ — Smolov had a good opportunity to knot the game, but Neuer made the crucial save.
63’ — And there is a break...or maybe not. It appeared that Robert Lewandowski drew a penalty, but VAR overruled the call on the field.
60’ — Ze Luis almost made David Alaba pay for some poor positioning, but the Austrian was able to track back and ward off a shot attempt. That could have ended A LOT worse.
56’ — Oh....Serge Gnabry found Joshua Kimmich, but the midfielder could not get enough on it to find a home in the net. It appeared that some timely defending thwarted a bit of the pace Kimmich had on the attempt.
52’ — Bayern is lacking it’s customary precision right now. They don’t look overly slow, but it does look like they have some heavy legs. The explosiveness just isn’t there and they just are not overly sharp. This probably should be a bit expected given how insane the schedule has been. Lucas appears to have shaken off whatever pain he had in his ankle and is moving well.
49’ — It’s Chuck, I’m jumping here. This is like a modern day baseball game with BFW going to the bullpen a few times here already. Hopefully I am not on a three batter limit. Anyway, the second half isn’t even that old and Lucas Hernandez has already went down twice grabbing his ankle. At this point every Bayern Munich left-back should wrap their ankles in bubble wrap. For what it’s worth, Lucas seems okay.
45' — Second half kicks off! Javi Martinez and Serge Gnabry comes on at HT. Goretzka and Muller subbed.
Halftime observations
- Yawn. This game... isn’t exactly a thriller.
- Bayern has 2/3rds possession and 10 shots to 5 (2 on target apiece). So Lok has made a little noise, but that’s about it.
- How about those nice flying crosses by Pavard? One led to Goretzka’s goal and the other produced a shot off the post.
- Bayern is in control, but not really pushing things. Maybe the bench will lively things up — ideally for the better.
Halftime — That’s it for the first half.
44’ — Lokomotiv’s Corluka has suffered a hamstring injury and has to leave the pitch.
25’ — Benjamin Pavard provides another fine chance off of a volleyed cross. This time, he finds Kingsley Coman. His shot bounces off the post, though.
17’ — Yellow card for Zhivoglyadov, who clipped Hernandez on the chin with a high kick. Hernandez falls dramatically to the ground...then gets up fine.
13’ — GOAL for Bayern! Corentin Tolisso picks out Benjamin Pavard with a long pass from the midfield. Pavard volleys it back toward the face of goal and Leon Goretzka heads it in.
2’ — Miranchuk makes a nice cross to a wide-open Smolov, who heads the ball directly into Manuel Neuer’s arms.
Kickoff: We're underway in Russia!
One hour until kickoff: Lineups are out! Well this is a surprise. Hansi opts to put Muller on the wing and start Tolisso at the AM position. This is the same lineup that sunk Atletico — will it work out against Lokomotiv?
Unsere XI für #FCLMFCB! #packmas #FCBayern #UCL pic.twitter.com/6xQNH7PSra
— FC Bayern München (@FCBayern) October 27, 2020
It’s Champions League time! Bayern Munich travel to Moscow to face the fourth strongest team in the Russian Premier League — Lokomotiv Moscow. I’m struggling to think up a compelling narrative for this game, so let’s move on to the details.
Leroy Sane is back and ready to start, while Corentin Tolisso is available for selection. Alphonso Davies will be out for six to eight weeks following his ankle injury against Frankfurt during the weekend. Hansi Flick will therefore need to figure something out in order to rest Lucas Hernandez, as the Frenchman is at risk of being overworked after playing several games in a row.
The rest of the lineup is less of a headache, as Robert Lewandowski, Thomas Muller, Joshua Kimmich, and the rest of the team’s heavy hitters are all fit and ready to feature. With Lokomotiv being the first in a series of four straight away games for Bayern, winning big will take a back seat to winning without taking any more damage. Of course, winning remains the final goal, as always.
It’s Bayern time.
Match Info
Location: Lokomotiv Stadium, Moscow, Russia
Time: 18:55 CET (whenever that is)
TV/streaming: ESPN+, Find Your Country
Tips for commenting:
- If you’re a new member, feel free to introduce yourself. We’re
mostlyvery friendly! Also, we’re from all parts of the world so don’t feel shy if you’re from a country that doesn’t seem represented on the blog. - SBN is a little slow to show new comments. Refresh the page regularly to keep up with the discussion, especially after goals.
- The goal celebrations are for everyone to participate in! Even if you’re lagging behind the others, keep replying to the most recent call of the player’s name. Even if you missed the first call, just start from the second, and so on.
- While swearing is allowed within reason, please be polite to your fellow posters and avoid gratuitous obscenities. Racist, homophobic, and misogynistic language is not allowed whatsoever.
Check out our beginners thread if you have any more questions. That’s about it. Auf geht’s!
Looking for an unending well of Bayern Munich content? Sign up for an SBNation account and join the conversation on Bavarian Football Works. Whether it’s full match coverage and analysis, breaking news or something completely different, we have it all.