Daily Schmankerl: The aftermath of Bayern Munich vs. Al Ahly; Manchester City targeting Joshua Kimmich?; Chelsea getting close on Jerome Boateng?; Manchester United chasing Ibrahima Konate; and MORE!

Die Folgen: Bayern’s 2-0 victory over Al Ahly (Bavarian Football Works)

Bayern Munich secured a 2-0 victory over Al Ahly and did so in impressive fashion. The Bavarians dominated the game even on a day where they likely were not operating at 100%. Here are some quick hitters on the match:

• It might be cliché to say, but Al Ahly played with zero fear of Bayern Munich. The Egyptian side was there to rumble.
• Otherwise, though, Bayern Munich smothered Al Ahly with pressure in a completely and utterly dominant first half. It was overwhelming at times, but it was sort of amazing that the Bavarians only came out of that half with one goal.
• Robert Lewandowski, of course, was responsible for that tally after converting a feed from Serge Gnabry. Bayern Munich could have easily scored three or four more goals in the first half as Marc Roca, Gnabry, and Thomas Müller all had quality chances.
• Müller, for sure, likely wishes he could have a few of those chances back. Bayern Munich’s end product struggled for the entirety of the game despite how much it dominated. I’d say that was more a product of the arduous travel experience than anything else.
• Jerome Boateng was very, very good on the day. In fact, every defender was good. Benjamin Pavard turned in another stellar performance, while Alphonso Davies might have provided his best effort in weeks. David Alaba was the weakest of the starting foursome, but was not bad at all either. Niklas Süle’s cameo was brief and uneventful — which is exactly what you want from a defender, who enters the game as a sub.
• Man...it just seems like Leroy Sane is tailor-made to come in as a substitute. Some of his best performances during this season have come off of the bench. His cross to Lewandowski, which set up the Polish Hitman’s second goal, was superb.
• The partnership between Joshua Kimmich and Marc Roca was good on the day. Kimmich did some really excellent things, but did have some bouts of sloppiness with the ball. Roca was quietly solid and seems to have overtaken Corentin Tolisso for the role of the third midfielder on the roster.
• Kingsley Coman was an utterly disruptive force once again. Coman’s continued growth as a player is evident every game with how consistent his decision-making has become and also how much he has embraced defending from his position.
• Manuel Neuer was solid once again.
• If Bayern Munich wants to beat Tigres, it will need to ensure that it is regenerated and ready to go. The Mexican club will no doubt be looking to take down Europe’s giants.

If you missed our Match Awards, Observations, or Postgame Podcast give them a look or a listen:

City targeting Kimmich? (Transfer Market Web)

Well, well, well...Transfer Market Web captured a report from the notoriously reliable Don Balon, which detailed that Pep Guardiola would be looking to bring in Bayern Munich star Joshua Kimmich during the summer transfer window:

According to Don Balòn, Manchester City are planning a summer move at German international right-back/midfielder Joshua Kimmich (turning 26 today, February 8). Capable of filling former captain Philipp Lahm’s prestigious shoes, former RB Leipzig and Stuttgart player is currently on a deal with Bayern Munich until June 2023, and, according to Transfermarkt.de, is worth the tune of 85 million euros.

Hmmm...seems legit.

Report: Chelsea reaches deal with Boateng (TodoFichajes.com)

At least one source has Chelsea close to finalizing a deal with Bayern Munich center-back Jerome Boateng, but let’s just say that this report is sketchy at best:

Chelsea continues to put Jerome Boateng in the spotlight. The German international was already Frank Lampard’s target in the past market and now with the arrival of Tuchel to the bench, he remains on the agenda.

According to the information we have at TodoFichajes, Chelsea has reached an agreement with the player’s agent. The Blues have been working the operation for some time and if nothing goes wrong he will arrive in London when his contract ends with Bayern Munich.

Undoubtedly, Boateng will be moving on, but his exact destination could be any one of a numbers of places. With Italy’s advantageous tax situation and the appeal of playing in the United States tempting him, Boateng could opt for a destination other than England. Still, the Premier League might be able to offer him the most advantageous salary and bonus combination, which could be a powerful factor as the defender winds down his career.

Is it implausible that Boateng moves to Chelsea? Nope. It is just not likely that any agreement has been reached at this stage of the game.

Bavarian Grass Works Mini: Flick praises Qatar surface (@iMiaSanMia)

One of the burning questions that has likely been eating away at most Bayern Munich fans over the past two days probably had nothing do to with Hansi Flick’s lineup selections or if the team could find a way to convince David Alaba to stay.

Nope! Not one bit.

What REAL fans were concerned about was whether or not the grass in Qatar was up to par!

And let me tell you, according to Hansi Flick — a man who clearly admires some fine grass — Qatar is offering a hot pitch that we lawn lovers would fawn over:

I am literally unable to control myself. Off to the cold shower I go!

United chasing Konate (The Independent)

While most of the transfer focus with RB Leipzig has been on Dayot Upamecano, there is another contingent of teams out there who seem to prefer Ibrahima Konate — including Manchester United, Liverpool, and Chelsea:

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is now looking at RB Leipzig’s Ibrahima Konate as Manchester United’s main centre-half target in the summer, as he seeks to take the team to the next level and challenge for the title.

The Norwegian has come to see that position as a priority, and Konate’s team-mate Dayot Upamecano has previously been viewed as the best fit. With Bayern Munich leading the chase there and Konate putting in equally good performances to his centre-half partner, though, the latter is an increasingly attractive option. Konate is a 21-year-old with 11 caps for France, who is just the latest example of Leipzig’s exceptional recruitment.

United could have a lot of competition from within England, though, as Konate is already generating the same level of interest as Upamecano did. Both Liverpool and Chelsea are seriously looking at the centre-half, too.

Really...who is Chelsea not interested in from the Bundesliga? That might be a shorter list.