Daily Schmankerl: The aftermath of Bayern Munich vs. SC Freiburg; Frenkie de Jong being benched by FC Barcelona to force move?; Real Madrid felt used by Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe; Thiago boots Haaland’s groin area; & MORE!

Die Folgen: Bayern’s 5-0 victory over SC Freiburg (Bavarian Football Works)

Bayern Munich needed a Bundesliga win in a bad way and took care of business against a surprisingly overmatched SC Freiburg side for a 5-0 victory.

The Bavarians were focused and energetic from the start and it showed with a terrific result:

• With Kingsley Coman (suspension) and Thomas Müller (muscular issues) unavailable, along with Jamal Musiala not quite fully fit after a bout with COVID-19, Julian Nagelsmann opted to go with Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting. The manager also opted to go with Noussair Mazraoui over Benjamin Pavard as well. Otherwise, everything was as expected:

• Bayern Munich was pretty strong from the outset and got going early with a 13th minute goal from Serge Gnabry. Choupo-Moting followed up that effort 20 minutes later to push the Bavarians into halftime with a 2-0 lead.
• It was a very crisp showing for Bayern Munich. The passing was on-point, the timing and effectiveness of the runs was very good as well.
• Defensively, the backline of Matthijs de Ligt, Dayot Upamecano, Alphonso Davies, and Noussair Mazraoui was solid. I especially liked what I saw from De Ligt and Upamecano in playing together.
• As far as subs go, Nagelsmann opted to give Musiala some time to get his sea legs back and Pavard, Marcel Sabitzer, Mathys Tel, and Josip Stanišić got some time as well. Mazraoui’s exit from the match was a little concerning as he was grabbing the back of his thigh, which usually indicates a hamstring injury.
• Sané’s goal in the 53rd minute was just terrific. The Germany international consistently put himself in good positions — and likely feels like he should have walked away with two or three goals. It was a stellar game for Sané nonetheless.

• Sadio Mané added a 56th minute tally and in the 80th minute, Mané had the ball tackled away from him in the box...but right to Sabitzer, who buried it.
• Christian Streich’s frustration got to him in the 72nd minute as he got booked. It is unclear, though, whether alleged time-wasting from Bayern Munich or shoddy officiating drew his ire.
• Overall, Bayern Munich was thoroughly dominant in a match where they needed to re-establish themselves in the league. Taking down what is usually a very strong SC Freiburg side that easily was impressive. This is the type of win over a good team that Bayern Munich needed.

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

Madrid felt used by Haaland, Mbappe (Fichajes)

Real Madrid is apparently feeling scorned and used by both Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe after failing to land either player during last summer’s transfer window:

A few days ago Real Madrid, according to Marca, felt used by Haaland and Mbappé to get better contracts at their clubs.

The report went on to state that things are so bad between Mbappe and Real Madrid that Los Blancos will not pursue the Frenchman in the future. For Haaland, however, Real Madrid could consider an acquisition — starting in 2024 when his release clause for non-Premier League teams reportedly activates.

Haaland’s release clause is said to carry a price tag of at least €150 million and potentially as high as €200 million.

De Jong being benched to force move? (Daily Mail via Sky)

Is FC Barcelona purposely benching Frenkie de Jong in an effort to force him to leave the club this winter? At least one report is implying that:

Frenkie de Jong insists he fully expected Barcelona to leave him on the bench in bigger matches in a bid to force him out of the club, with Manchester United still showing interest in the midfielder.

I think De Jong loves the paycheck he is getting from Barca...otherwise there is genuinely no reason a player of his caliber should stay there to be treated like a second rate player. De Jong has only started five of 11 games across all competitions. He has also missed two games due to injury.

Bavarian Podcast Works — Weekend Warm-up Podcast: Season 2, Episode 15 (Bavarian Football Works)

Another week for Bayern Munich and more up-and-down performances to totally muddle everyone’s view on where exactly this team is at during this stage of the season.

Regardless, there was still plenty to talk about. Here is what we have on tape for this episode:

• A look at how befuddling this Bayern Munich squad is and how they can make you confident and frustrated all at the same time.
• Robert Lewandowski and FC Barcelona could flunk out of the Champions League.
• Why people are openly speculating that Julian Nagelsmann could lose the team.
• Chelsea FC is said to be looking to bring in Benjamin Pavard.
• The reality that Bayern Munich is going to be shopping for a No. 9 next summer and how that fits into Mathys Tel’s timeline for his career path.
• A quick discussion on House of the Dragon and why last week was the best episode so far. Also, a little bemoaning the state of The Walking Dead.

Thiago taking matters into his own hands? (@ProjectFootball)

Liverpool’s Thiago Alcantara booted Erling Haaland in the junk:

That’s one way to slow him down I guess.

Liverpool won the match 1-0.

Sané, Upamecano recognized for big efforts (@iMiaSanMia)

From Bild: