Bayern Munich 2-0 Lokomotiv Moscow: Initial reactions and observations

Initial reactions and observations

• Bayern Munich cruised to a victory in a dead rubber match. Neither team brought their A-game, so the Bavarians’ raw quality won out in the end.
• Marc Roca had an excellent game in the midfield. He dictated the tempo and participated in the press much better than his previous starts — has he earned a league start?

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• Alphonso Davies had an amazing comeback game. He dribbled Lokomotiv’s defense with ease and supplied killer through balls to his teammates. At the back, his pace was as lethal as always — helping Bayern keep their first clean sheet in ages.
• Speaking of the clean sheet, this was a much improved performance from the defense. Manuel Neuer barely had anything to do as his defenders mopped up all the Russian attacks. Of special mention is Niklas Sule, who cut an imperious figure next to Boateng at LCB.
• Jamal Musiala continues to impress. His cameo appearance saw him win the corner leading to Sule’s goal, and he showed his defensive acumen by chasing down a Moscow attacker and dispossessing him preventing a surefire counter. This kid is really special — hopefully Hansi keeps giving him minutes here and there.

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Full time: Bayern Munich 2 — 0 Lokomotiv Moscow

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85’ — Angelo Stiller comes in for Leroy Sane

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80’ — Choupo Moting scores and makes it 2:0

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69’ — Chris Richards and Lucas Hernandez come in for Jerome Boateng and Alphonso Davies

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63’ — Niklas Sule scores and makes it 1:0 for Bayern!

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61’ — Jamal Musiala in, Leon Goretzka out

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45’ — Serge Gbnabry in, Thomas Muller out

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45’ — The second half is underway!

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Halftime! The score is 0:0

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Kickoff: The last match of the Champions League group stage is underway!

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One hour until kickoff: We have lineups! The big news is, Alphonso Davies starts for the first time since his injury!

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The Champions League is back! Aaaand it’s half-over. Bayern Munich and Lokomtiv Moscow face-off in a dead rubber game that has no significance. Still, it’s a better situation to be in than other big clubs — clubs like Real Madrid aren’t even qualified yet.

Hansi Flick has the opportunity to rotate his lineup. Fans are clamoring to see Marc Roca in midfield, and it would be nice to have some youngsters like Chris Richards and Angelo Stiller make the lineup as well. On the other hand, first teamers like Robert Lewandowski Choupo-Goating and Thomas Muller should still start, and Alphonso Davies is expected to make his return to squad (possibly making a substitute appearance). Hopefully, Flick can keep his unbeaten streak going, despite the fixture congestion and all the injuries.

It’s Bayern time.

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Match Info

Location: Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany

Time: 9 pm local time, 3 pm EST

TV/streaming: CBS All Access, Find Your Country

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