Daily Schmankerl: The aftermath of Bayern Munich vs. Hertha Berlin; The MLS Cup was wild; PSG eyeing Joao Felix?; The latest transfer news on Manchester City’s İlkay Gündoğan; Bundesliga defender rejects PSG; and MORE!

Die Folgen: Bayern’s 3-2 win over Hertha (Bavarian Football Works)

Bayern Munich edged Hertha Berlin 3-2 in a match that was not quite as close as the score indicates, but also not quite as much of a drubbing as it looked like it might become when the Bavarians grabbed a 3-0 lead in the first half.

There was some good and some bad, so let’s get to it. Here are some quick hitters on the match:

• What a wild match! Julian Nagelsmann went with no surprises in his lineup once more:

• Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting has continued to make a strong case that not only should Nagelsmann shift permanently to a 4-2-3-1, but that he should be the front man for it. With another two goals, Choupo-Moting is doing exactly what Bayern Munich needs from the position: Stay active, look for openings, let your teammates create chaos, and be in front of the net to clean things up.
• Even if his second goal was more than a little lucky, Choupo-Moting fulfilled his job and even his teammates are noticing:

• Jamal Musiala also stayed hot as his goal gave Bayern Munich a lead in just the 12th minute. Sadio Mané took advantage of a turnover, used a burst of speed, and found Musiala, who was so calm and composed (like always)...and just buried the shot.
• Nagelsmann is going to have an interesting decision to make when Thomas Müller is healthy enough to play. Everyone loves the Raumdeuter, but how do you take Musiala off the pitch? I suppose Musiala could play wing (I still contend he is the best wing on the team anyway), but that would create a lot of traffic with Mané, Leroy Sané, Serge Gnabry, and Kingsley Coman already involve in a tug o’ war for playing time.
• To be clear, Musiala didn’t even have his best game, but he has become indispensable.
• Choupo-Moting striking twice within a minute was pretty tremendous, but the Bavarians did lose focus after that.
• I thought the midfield and defense was particularly distracted in the wake of the 3-0 lead. It was not a terrible game, but was more sloppy than I think most would like to see. These are the kind of games where you want to see Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka take over, but the talented duo did not do that — which led to a very uneven effort from the squad.
• The backline’s periodic struggles during the match, might have had to do with the unfamiliarity of that particular foursome in working together.
• Manuel Neuer was very sharp in his return to action.
• Overall, it was not a great match for Bayern Munich, but it did result in three points nonetheless. This was a bit of a “come down” from the squad’s previous heights, so hopefully it provides a bit of a kick in the pants for the upcoming slate of games.

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

Felix on PSG’s radar? (Tribal Football via 90Min.com)

Paris Saint-Germain appears to be one of the club keeping an eye on embattled Atlético Madrid star Joao Felix:

Joao Felix could become a target for Paris Saint-Germain, with Kylian Mbappe not satisfied with the central position he has been playing this season. (Tribal Football)

It feels like Atleti is completely done with Felix from a sporting perspective , but is not quite committed to getting rid of him either from a financial perspective.

Simakan shot down PSG move (kicker)

RB Leipzig defender Mohamed Simakan reportedly shot down a move to PSG:

Apparently, Paris St. Germain wanted to guide Leipzig defender Mohamed Simakan to the French capital in the summer, but the 22-year-old decided to stay. “They were interested. But stability is important to me,” said Simakan, who was born in Marseille, in an interview with “L’Equipe.” His contract with RB runs until 2026 and he is happy with it, because “Leipzig is the place at the moment “When I’m at my best.”

You have to think that PSG would be offering a ton more money, but playing time was not going to be as easy to come by. Credit to Simakan for doing what was best for his development (even if it temporarily hurts his bank account).

Bavarian Podcast Works: Weekend Warm-up Podcast Season 2, Episode 18

Bayern Munich finished off a dominant Champions League run, Germany got some unexpected injury news, and Benjamin Pavard’s tenure at Bayern Munich could be coming to an end — right as he is hitting his peak as a player.

As always, there is a TON to talk about, so this is what we have on tap for this episode:

• Bayern Munich’s incredible Champions League run.
• A quick look at Bayern Munich’s possible Champions League draw — and a look at what kind of coverage is in store on BFW.
• Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting to....Manchester United?
• Benjamin Pavard is hitting his prime...and now he’s like leaving Bayern Munich.
• Timo Werner’s injury for Germany, what that means for Hansi Flick’s roster, and is Toni Kroos coming back?
• My TV watching has suffered as the Phillies have went on this incredible run.

The MLS Cup was insanely good (Bavarian Football Works)

Listen...I know many of you don’t care about MLS, but the Philadelphia Union and LAFC put on a freaking show that was driven to PKs when Gareth Bale scored a last minute goal for Los Angeles (if only Bayern Munich had taken my advice, they could have spared an entire region massive amounts of pain and suffering).

Anyway, I’m not here to bend your ear about the Union’s loss, but the game really was tremendous. Pure fire, will power, and fortitude all came into play over 120+ minutes of the match, plus the PKs. What a game...

Also, the Philadelphia Phillies lost in the World Series...so my day was rough (aside of spending 2.5 hours in Urgent Care with my youngest daughter after taking a headbutt in a game, which resulted in a deep cut and five stitches...which was AWESOME). All-in-all...it was BANNER DAY for me.

Gündoğan headed out of City? (Football Insider via 90Min.com)

The rumors continue to swirl that İlkay Gündoğan is on his way out of Manchester City:

Manchester City are growing concerned that Ilkay Gundogan will leave the club on a free transfer next summer, with talks over a new contract yet to yield any positive results. (Football Insider)

Per Mundo Deportivo, however, Bayern Munich and Atlético Madrid are still in the mix as well:

Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid are showing interesting in 32-year-old Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan, who has won four Premier League titles since moving to England in 2016. (Mundo Deportivo)

The Bayern Munich narrative on this story continues to be interesting. It is hard to see why either side would be completely serious about joining forces — unless Gündoğan just wanted to ride off into the sunset of his career in Germany as a deep reserve.

Wolves losing two more strikers? (Sport1)

Wolfsburg is reportedly contemplating parting ways with Luca Waldschmidt and Maximilian Philipp. For Waldschmidt, it has been quite the precipitous fall in his career:

VfL Wolfsburg has recovered after a weak start to the season. The Wolves are unbeaten in seven games. With only three games left before the winter break, the club is already starting to plan their squad. According to kicker, those responsible want to separate from two players.

Accordingly, the two strikers Luca Waldschmidt and Maximilian Philipp are allowed to leave the club in winter. Waldschmidt has been flirting with a farewell for a long time. This season he was only in seven games on the field. The 26-year-old hasn’t been used since the beginning of October and hasn’t even been nominated for the squad lately.

It looks even bleaker for other former Freiburg players. So far, Philipp has only been on the pitch for 90 minutes, spread over two matches. He has only been in the squad once since September. However, the negotiations are likely to be difficult. After all, both professionals have a contract until 2025. In the event of a possible sale, those responsible would probably have to accept losses, because the market value of the professionals has recently fallen.

Kimmich, Sané named to Group Stage Best XI (@WhoScored)

Bayern Munich’s Joshua Kimmich and Leroy Sané were named to WhoScored.com’s Champions League Group Stage Best XI:

Morrison called to Scotland U-21 (@RBarnier)

Bayern Munich II defender Liam Morrison has been balled up to Scotland’s U-21 team: