Bayern Munich 1-2 Gladbach: Initial reactions and observations

Initial reactions and observations

• Bayern Munich put in a decent effort in the second half, including hitting the post twice, but it just wasn’t enough to get past Yann Sommer and BMG. Julian Nagelsmann probably didn’t want to start the new year like this.
• Copado and Wanner, the two youngsters who were subbed on, looked rather bright in their cameos.
• Marcel Sabitzer probably had the worst game of his Bayern career so far. Yes, he was playing out of position at left-back — BUT we really expect more from him.
• Serge Gnabry must’ve misplaced every pass he made. Seriously, it’s games like these that make you wonder if Tony Pulis had a point.
• Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Muller did their best, but it wasn’t enough in the end. Hopefully, the game against Koln sees more starters return to the XI.

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Full time: Bayern Munich lose their first game of 2022.

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75’ — Subs: Things are getting a little desperate for Bayern here. Nagelsmann subs on Copado and Wanner for Tillman and Roca.

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60’ — Insane chances for Bayern including a couple for Muller, but none have been converted. So unlucky.

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45’ — The second half kicks off! Can Bayern pull it back?

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Halftime observations and analysis

• Abysmal defending took this game away from Bayern Munich. Just abject in every way.
• Sommer remains a thorn in Bayern’s side. His saves kept Gladbach in the game when Bayern were dominating.
• Marcel Sabitzer isn’t a good left-back. Then again, maybe we should have expected that.
• What changes can Nagelsmann even make? There are only kids on the bench. This XI will have to get it done in the second half.

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Halftime: Bayern Munich are down 2-1 at half time.

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31’ — Goal. Bayern undone from a corner. Awful, awful defending.

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26’ — Goal. Neuhaus scores from a load of Bayern blunders. Poor defending there.

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18’ — GOAL! What a turn and shot by Lewandowski! 1-0 to Bayern in 2022!

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Kickoff: We’re underway in the first game of 2022! It’s snowing in Munich, which is never a good sign — but let’s hope the boys are up for this.

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One hour until kickoff: We have lineups! The lineup is exactly as expected, with pretty much every available Bayern first teamer making the XI. Thomas Muller captains the side in place of Manuel Neuer, while Robert Lewandowski and Joshua Kimmich will be relied upon to give some solidity to an otherwise shaky XI.

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2022 is off to a GREAT start. At the time of writing this preview, we still don’t know if Bayern Munich will actually kick off against Gladbach today. TEN Bayern players have tested positive so far, which is by far the highest number in the league. If any more have to be ruled out, then the game might not be able to go ahead. As fans, we’ve been starved of Bayern content for almost a month now, so we really hope that doesn’t happen.

To fill out the squad, Julian Nagelsmann has called up a number of youngsters and B-teamers. However, the real saving grace here is the fact that Bayern still have Robert Lewandowski, Thomas Muller, and Joshua Kimmich to call upon. Those three can make any lineup seem good, so as long as they start, this game should at least (hopefully) be competitive.

It’s Bayern time.

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While you’re waiting for the game, why not check out our preview podcast? Listen to it below or at this link.

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Match Info

Location: Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany

Time: 8:30 pm local time, 2:30 pm EST

TV/streaming: ESPN+, Find Your Country

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