Dynamo Kyiv 1-2 Bayern Munich: Initial reactions and observations

Initial reactions and observations

• Bayern Munich completely fell apart after the subs were made. The defense lost all stability without Lucas Hernandez, and the second half was almost a total disaster. Performances like these will earn Nagelsmann a lot of criticism.
• Tanguy Nianzou was having a good game until the goal happened. Unfortunately it ends as another mixed performance for the young Frenchman. Let’s hope his injury isn’t serious.
• Buona Sarr showed why Benjamin Pavard plays ahead of him, and neither player was good to begin with. Sule can’t come back soon enough.
• Leroy Sane had another off game. Let’s hope this isn’t the start of a trend.
• With this win, Bayern secure top stop in the group. We’ll take all the points we can get, but hopefully the team shows more cohesiveness when facing Arminia Bielefeld on Saturday.

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Full time: Bayern Munich scrape past Dynamo Kyiv 2-1.

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83’ — Nianzou looks injured, he comes off for Malik Tillman.

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69’ — Goal. Dynamo pull one back, another clean sheet wasted by Bayern.

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65’ — Subs: It’s a miracle! Marc Roca has come on, for Kingsley Coman.

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45’ — The second half is underway!

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Halftime observations and analysis

• This game has been chaotic, but Bayern Munich deserve to lead on average. Valiant performance from the boys in the snow.
• Thomas Muller’s leave in the buildup to Coman’s goal was nothing short of genius.
• Benjamin Pavard ... his flank is a highway, every single one of Kyiv’s dangerous attacks come down that side.
• Alphonso Davies has been aggressively positioned, but his passes leave something to be desired. He needs to try and take on his man a bit more.
• Even Manuel Neuer is thrown off by the snow. This weather sucks.

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Halftime: Bayern Munich lead 2-0 in Kyiv.

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41’ — GOAL! Kingsley Coman makes it 2-0, thanks to a wonderful leave from Muller.

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35’ — We’ve had sloppy passing, sub zero temps, a naked pitch invader, and mistakes at both ends. What a game.

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14’ — GOAL! Robert Lewandowski makes it 1-0 from an incredible overhead kick!

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Kickoff: We’re underway! It’s super snowy so let’s hope Bayern don’t freeze up.

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One hour until kickoff: We have lineups! Kingsley Coman manages to make the starting XI, meaning that Nagelsmann has put all his cards on the table. This is probably the best lineup Bayern could field at the moment, with all the players that are missing. Let’s hope Nianzou has a good game, kid needs the minutes. Phonzie will be key in this match — he’s the only one used to this kind of weather.

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As the Champions League group stage comes to an end, Bayern Munich have already secured qualification, so there is very little left to play for. With Benfica and Barcelona duking it out in the other match for the other qualifying spot in the group, only top spot remains worth fighting for.

Of course, after suffering a shock loss to Augsburg last Friday, Julian Nagelsmann and his men will want a victory to get themselves back on track. Only, that victory may be hard-fought. While Dynamo Kyiv have been rather mediocre in Europe this season, they have the distinct advantage of facing a heavily depleted Bayern squad this Tuesday. Key players, including Joshua Kimmich, Serge Gnabry, and Niklas Sule are all out due to isolation rules, while Dayot Upamecano serves a yellow card suspension.

For Nagelsmann, this will be a test of his ingenuity as a coach. There’s been a lot of bad press about the team lately, and dressing room morale can’t be high. Still, Bayern have an obligation to try and win every single game where they step on the pitch. With stars like Thomas Muller, Robert Lewandowski, and Leroy Sane still available to him, the young coach needs to figure out how to deliver.

It’s Bayern time.

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While you’re waiting for the game, why not check out our podcast? We combined the game preview + the rest of our talking points into a single episode for this week.

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Match Info

Location: National Sports Complex “Olympiyskiy”, Kiev, Ukraine

Time: 7:45 pm local time, 12:45 pm EST

TV/streaming: Paramount+, Find Your Country

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