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In our virtual Bayern Munich simulation, I’ve talked a lot about how good we’ve been doing without actually providing you tangible updates to all of this on the current scoring table, current BuLi table, and who we’re getting in the Pokal and the Champions League.
So, with all of that being said, on Monday we will not be streaming. Instead, I will be posting an article providing you with these updates. Plus, seeing as it’s the January transfer window, I’ll be posting some polls to ask you whether or not we need some reinforcements.
Meanwhile, let’s get into the games!
Champions League GS 6: Astra Giurgiu (0 - 1) Bayern Munich
64’ Coman
I know I said I wouldn’t be posting lineups in these four game posts, but this one is required
Lewandowski
Coman - Müller - Werner
Neuer - Goretzka
Alaba - Hernandez - Upamecano - Kimmich
Ulreich
That’s right folks, we got to see midfielder Manuel Neuer in action. How did he fare? Well, he got tired very quickly despite his pretty good stamina in real life. But, he put up a pretty good performance for a midfielder, pushing tempo and delivering on passes. For this, he has to get a match award especially because he was played in this new position for him.
So, you may be thinking that the scoreline isn’t a great result, and to that I’d say, remind yourself of the game we played. A first tier Romanian side, in Romania, with 1st place in our group locked up: of course we weren’t going to go all out attack for this game. But even then, I’m not going to give Astra any credit. They didn’t put up a single shot all game and kept all of their players in the defensive hat. A cowardly performance and we exposed them.
MOTM: Kingsley Coman / SO: Thomas Muller / GC: Neuer / Tip: Dayot Upamecano
BuLi MD 15: Bayern Munich (5 - 1) Werder Bremen
37’ Cuisance , 42’ Lewandowski , 57’ Gnabry, 62’ Sané, 76’ Rashica, 90+3’ Lewandowski
The game was a relatively slow affair with not many opportunities coming in the first 30 minutes. But, once Mickaël Cuisance buried a rocket into the top right corner come minute 37’, it was all Bayern.
That goal came from a good Robert Lewandowski pass and Cuisance was able to move past any defense and slammed it home.
Lewy got a contribution of his own after he went on a nice run, weaving past defenders and then dinking the ball into the net to double the score.
The goal from Serge Gnabry was even more impressive. Surrounded by four defenders and in the shadow of the endline, he was able to put on a nice bit of skill, work his way around them and curl a goal into the far side netting.
Leroy Sane had a nice goal as well, taking his chances when they came to him and shooting right past the Bremen keeper.
The lone Werder Bremen goal was a slow knuckleball from Milot Rashica that trickled its way past Neuer.
But, Bayern got revenge from Lewandowski yet again in stoppage time, going off the woodwork and in.
MOTM: Lewandowski / SO: Cuisance / GC: Gnabry / Tip: Sané / JS: Rashica
BuLI MD 16: SC Freiburg (0 - 3) Bayern Munich
15’ Müller, 21’ Coman, 78’ (OG) Schowlow
Starting off with the good performances from Muller and Coman: both goals were pretty easy for the pair. Both got good passes into the box, where they each dribbled it in and slotted it in left side.
However, the own goal off Freiburg’s keeper Alexander Schowlow deserves a more in-depth review. The keeper saved a great shot off of Timo Werner but couldn’t hold on to the attempt. The rebound dropped in front of Serge Gnabry near the end line. He turned his body around it and shot the ball, and Schowlow got his hands on it. Unfortunately for him, it went off the inside of his left hand and into his own net.
A shout out to Manuel Neuer who kept a clean sheet and racked up 6 saves.
MOTM: Coman / SO: Müller / GC: Neuer / Tip: Gnabry / JS: Philipp Leinhart
BuLi MD 17: Bayern Munich (1 - 1) VfL Wolfsburg
23’ Schlager, 84’ Müller
This was the most frustrating game of FIFA I have ever played.
I know this sounds like a cop-out, but my controller at this point had deteriorated beyond repair. Allow me to explain. If anyone here plays Call of Duty: Modern Warfare or it’s popular Warzone Battle Royale game, you know the control for sprinting (a.k.a. stealth running) is to double click the left stick and push up (L3 + up). It’s been found over time that the continuous playing of this game screws with the sensors and will force the controller to move up.
There’s evidence this was happening all game. Passes weren’t going where I wanted, at one point Manuel Neuer was facing backward, and even in the beginning of this video, when I’m not talking, the left stick moves up on the menu without me asking to (see 0:59-1:03).
Now, I won’t blame my faulty controller for everything, because the game has some blame as well. I entirely attribute Wolfsburg’s goal to the fact that FIFA automatically switched me off Niklas Süle, who was in a position to block or intercept a cross, to Lucas Hernandez who was marking someone in front of goal. As a result of me not being able to control the player I wanted, Schlager got the ball and shot it past Manuel Neuer.
Once they scored, Wolfsburg proceeded to park the bus like no tomorrow. Shot after shot, dribble after dribble, chance after chance denied because Wolfsburg liked to counter-attack and put 10 men in front of the ball at all times. This game is one of the worst editions of FIFA when it comes to that.
Let’s also add the fact that four shots (2 from Werner, 1 from Gnabry, 1 from Lewy) went off the posts.
Thomas Müller, who had been resting after a hard working Freiburg game, came on and scored in the 84’ thanks to a good feed from Lewandowski.
With time winding down in stoppage time, a Coutinho shot went out of bounds for a corner. We set up in the box, and knowing this game is really bad when it comes to headers, I knew that any time that Wolfsburg got their head on the ball to clear it, then it would be over. So, I had Coutinho run over to Joshua Kimmich who was taking the corner. Coutinho received a short pass and turned to cross it.
The referee blew his whistle. Right after a corner. With all of Bayern in the attacking end.
It was the most astounding and bullshit call I had ever seen while playing this game. I don’t know any referee in real life who would do this. Not even Viktor Kassai would be dumb enough to do that.
Nevertheless, we end 2019 with a 1-1 draw.
MOTM: Müller / SO: Leon Goretzka / GC: Werner / Tip: Neuer / JS: Schlager
Our mega-update-article-spectacular comes out tomorrow afternoon, so look forward to reading that! We will return to simulating the game on Tuesday.
Stay safe until then!