Daily Schmankerl: The aftermath of Bayern Munich vs. Eintracht Frankfurt; James Rodriguez wants to leave Qatar already; Chelsea’s Romelu Lukaku back to Inter Milan; and MORE!

Die Folgen: Bayern’s 1-0 victory over Eintracht (Bavarian Football Works)

It was not easy, nor all that pleasant to look at, but Bayern Munich edged Eintracht Frankfurt 1-0 in an extremely hard-fought and spirited match that saw both teams get a bit heated. Here are some quick hitters on the match:

• Bayern Munich’s shift to a 4-2-3-1 was needed and seemed to provide some stability. The players had defined roles and it seemed to make the game a little less chaotic than what we have seen of late at the onset.
• The match itself was intense and heated...which made for a lot of fun even if it was not exactly the most aesthetically pleasing match.
• Filip Kostic almost put Eintracht Frankfurt 1-0 in the 7th minute after Lucas Hernandez was slow in closing on him.
• Similarly, Jamal Musiala stunning header went just high minutes later. Man...he is such a creative attacker, it is hard to think we’ll likely be seeing him sit deeper in the formation soon. The kid is just a fantastic talent, so he’ll likely be successful in either role.
• It’s not as if Bayern Munich’s offense was all that fluid or consistently threatening in the first half, but it did enough to make things relatively comfortable.
• Even early in the match, it felt as if Eintracht Frankfurt would have been happy with a draw. That’s not really the swashbuckling Eintracht side we have seen in recent years.
• Kingsley Coman’s 24th minute shot was tricky for Kevin Trapp.
• Weird observation: Benjamin Pavard looks like he’s putting on some good weight.
• Trapp’s 39th minute save on Joshua Kimmich and then stopping Kingsley Coman’s follow-up attempt with his melon was nice. Trapp ate Coman’s shot right in the face from a very close distance. No one wants to see that.
• I am stunned Trapp stayed in the match. Moreover, he made another face save on Robert Lewandowski later in the match.
• Leroy Sane’s goal was just a spectacular example of what the attackers can do at Bayern Munich. Musiala did a fantastic job of controlling the ball, advancing it and finding Joshua Kimmich, who just sent in a perfect ball to a sprinting Leroy Sane. Sane then deposited the ball deftly into the back of the net. What a perfect play from all involved.
• Marcel Sabitzer turned in an okay shift.
• The team seemed to miss Thomas Müller’s presence.
• Bayern Munich’s defense was stable and solid. No complaints overall. There were some lapses and blown assignments, but nothing that was overwhelmingly bad.
• Overall, it was a win, so you have to take those three points and roll. Not every victory can be a rollicking joyride.

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

It’s too hot in Qatar for James (Sport1)

What...a...shock.

James Rodriguez is ready to leave Qatar:

James Rodríguez has announced his intention to leave his current club Al Rayyan after just five months in Qatar.

The 30-year-old emphasized that he was satisfied with his stage in Qatar, but still saw his future elsewhere: “How long in Qatar? I don’t know, you don’t know what’s going to happen. But I would like to go somewhere else,” said James, according to Olé , on the Twitch streaming portal . The left foot continued: “We didn’t achieve good results in the league, but things are going well in the cup and the goal is to win it. After all, I’m playing, I’m in a good mood.”

Not every period of Bayern Munich’s history has been great and not every player has been likable, but I LOATHE the James Rodriguez era.

What a fraud.

Lukaku back to Inter? (Sport1)

The much-heralded signing of Romelu Lukaku at Chelsea FC has not exactly yielded the production that was expected. Now, Lukaku is said to be eyeing a move back to Inter Milan:

Star striker Romelu Lukaku is unhappy with his role at Chelsea London. In the Champions League game against OSC Lille, the 113 million euro summer transfer saw 90 minutes on the bench. According to the Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport , the 28-year-old definitely wants to return to his former club Inter Milan. So he is said to have called the owner Steven Zhang and “knocked on his door”.

Accordingly, he is willing to forego part of his salary so that a return campaign for the clammy club is possible. In an interview at the end of December, Lukaku had already thought about moving to Italy. The reason for this is the broken relationship with coach Thomas Tuchel.

ICYMI: Bavarian Podcast Works: Weekend Warm-up Podcast Season 1, Episode 38 (Bavarian Football Works)

Another work week is almost in the books and, as always, Bayern Munich provided a lot of material for us to ponder.

A whole lot.

Somehow, Thomas Müller testing positive for COVID-19 again became one of the more normal stories of the week.

Here is what we have on tap for this episode:

• Examining the report on Julian Nagelsmann’s desire to make a back-three based formation permanent.
• Jamal Musiala’s transition to the central midfield.
• The wild rumors surrounding Erling Haaland, Corentin Tolisso, and Serge Gnabry.
• Bayern Munich’s begrudging evolution to becoming a selling club.
• Marcel Sabitzer’s future is on shaky ground with Bayern Munich.
• A guest appearance from Javi Martinez for a new segment called “Dong Watch”...okay, I’m kidding (no, we will not be discussing Javi’s bulge breakdown).
• A quick take on “The Book of Boba Fett.”

Dybala to Barca? (Sport1)

There really might not be a player whose name has been in the transfer rumor mill more than Juventus attacker Paulo Dybala. This is something like the fourth straight year where we have seen Dybala’s name consistently bandied about as potentially moving on from The Old Lady:

That would be a real blockbuster transfer - and for free: According to information from Sport , Paulo Dybala is open to a move to FC Barcelona.

The Argentine’s contract with Juventus expires in the summer. There has not yet been an extension, which is why it seems possible that the offensive star will change employers free of charge.

If the 28-year-old should leave Turin then Barca are his first choice, according to the reports. Tottenham Hotspur should also be an option. If Juventus can’t convince Dybala to extend his contract soon, then a club could land a real bargain.

Demir to Dortmund (Sport1)

Borussia Dortmund is reportedly interested in Rapid Vienna’s Yusuf Demir (put up the RLD signal!):

According to ESPN , Yusuf Demir is in advanced talks about a move to Borussia Dortmund.

The 18-year-old right winger, who returned to his parent club Rapid Vienna in the winter after a six-month loan to FC Barcelona, ​​was already a hot topic at BVB in the previous transfer window, according to SPORT1 information.

However, the four-time Austrian national player preferred to return to his familiar surroundings at the time in order to get guaranteed match practice. He had completed nine competitive appearances at FC Barcelona.