Daily Schmankerl: The aftermath of Bayern Munich vs. FC Copenhagen; Chelsea’s bid for Juventus star Dušan Vlahović was subpar; Joshua Kimmich praises Leroy Sané’s form; Fulham’s João Palhinha has staggering tackle stats; & MORE!

Die Folgen: Bayern’s 2-1 win over Copenhagen (Bavarian Football Works)

Well…that did not go as planned. Bayern Munich did manage to pull out a 2-1 victory over FC Copenhagen, but it was not easy or pretty or convincing.

Bayern Munich’s superior depth bailed out Thomas Tuchel once again, but fans are starting to get antsy in some circles and the product on the field has not matched the talent on the roster.

Anyway, let’s get moving. Here are some quick hitters on the match:

• As always, let’s start with with the lineup:

• Coming off of the last match, there really were not any surprises. Thomas Tuchel has seemingly been itching to get Leon Goretzka out of the starting XI and this was his chance to move Konrad Laimer into the central midfield (Spoiler alert: It did not go well).
• Otherwise, things were pretty...standard. Noussair Mazraoui got into the XI with Laimer’s move.
• I can’t pinpoint it, but the midfield partnership of Laimer and Joshua Kimmich just seems unbalanced or does not flow. Both players are very good individually, but something is not in sync with them together. Kimmich put in a strong effort, but Laimer was...off. In fact, you could really say that Laimer was poor.
• Speaking of just not being in sync, the attack was just out of sorts a bit in the first half and for the game. The Harry Kane situation is not yet looking seamless like many had hoped. Again, it is not time to panic, but it should be looking better than it does right now.
• After a scoreless first half and falling behind on a goal by FC Copenhagen’s Luka Laerager, Bayern Munich was finally able to get on the scoreboard with a goal from Jamal Muslala. Mazraoui was credited with the assist.
• In what has become “par for the course”, Bayern Munich was eventually bailed out by a late goal from Mathys Tel. Thomas Müller was credited with the assist on a beautiful play. At this point, it is time to give Tel a start at wing over Kingsley Coman. It is less of an indictment on Coman’s play than acclaim for Tel.
• Yeah...I still think Müller has a lot to offer. Tuchel is mismanaging several players right now and he is playing a dangerous game of avoiding what is best for the team. There really is no reason why Müller is not getting of a chance at this stage.
• Speaking of Coman, he and Leroy Sané scuffled to get things going. Both players could have brought more to the table than they did.
• Individually, the backline was...good. However, as a unit, things are...haphazard. As Jack Laushway noted in his Observations post, the team is lacking a leader like Matthijs de Ligt on the backline. When he is healthy, will Tuchel use him? It is very unclear at this point.
• Ulreich saved Tuchel’s backside late in the game, didn’t he?
• Kane was not involved enough as he only had 22 touches in the match and did not register a shot. Even Kane’s passing (54%) was not like normal. At some point, Tuchel is going to have to surround Kane with players that can help get the best out of Kane. Otherwise, why pay all of that money?
• Overall, it was — and is — not good. FC Copenhagen is a tough, professional team, but not the type of squad that should be making Bayern Munich look so uncomfortable for extended periods. It was...concerning. Tuchel is not pushing the right buttons with the team at the moment and the lack of chances for Kane is troubling. Something has to give and it might come down to Tuchel’s lineup selections. Right now, he looks as if he will be too stubborn to do the obvious in some cases. Hopefully, he proves that statement wrong over the weekend.

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

Chelsea bid not good enough for Vlahović (La Repubblica via 90Min.com)

Juventus striker Dušan Vlahović was a key transfer target for many clubs wanted last summer. Chelsea FC tried to get the Serbian, but its bid was not good enough:

Juventus sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli has confirmed that Chelsea made an offer to sign Dušan Vlahović over the summer but the Blues ultimately did not meet their asking price.

Vlahović is producing for Juventus this season, which will only increase his value on the transfer market. The 23-year-old has four goals and one assists in six games across all competitions so far.

Bavarian Podcast Works — Weekend Warm-up Podcast: Season 3, Episode 12 (Bavarian Football Works)

Bayern Munich has had great success so far this season, but not everything has been peachy keen for the boys from Bavaria.

Moreover, some fans have drawn lines on Thomas Tuchel and have evolved into warring factions on just about any matter involving the manager. We will talk about why that is and a whole lot more for this episode of the Weekend Warm-up Podcast. Check out what we have on tap:

• A look at the injury to Serge Gnabry, what it means for the club, and how the transfer rumors linking the Germany international to Manchester United and Real Madrid could be impacted.
• Assessing the small roster.
• Manchester City is linked to both Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz.
• Diving into the discord surrounding Bayern Munich fans and Thomas Tuchel.
• A couple of embarrassing stories on how inept I am and how Terry Francona dissed me into oblivion.

Kimmich praises Sané (Bavarian Football Works)

Bayern Munich star Joshua Kimmich took a moment recently to talk about just how good teammate Leroy Sané has been this season.

“He has always put in the effort. He is physically very strong. It’s impressive how consistently he’s performing on the pitch. He has rewarded himself for working hard. He has also shown what he can do in the past. At the moment he’s doing it every three days, which is great for us,” said Kimmich. “Even in phases when things aren’t going well, he still shows that he has exceptional qualities. He’s enjoying his football, which spreads to the rest of the team. I hope this will continue for a long time”

Palhinha’s tackle stats are outrageous this season (@WhoScored)

Fulham FC defensive midfielder João Palhinha is the apple of Thomas Tuchel’s eye for the winter transfer window and it is easy to see why he might be attractive to the German coach. Palhinha’s tackle statistics are crazy:

BVB already in contact with Sancho (@Plettigoal)

It might be a longshot for Borussia Dortmund to land Manchester United’s Jadon Sancho, but it does not mean that BVB is not trying:

❗️Jadon #Sancho is on the verge to leave ManUtd in winter! #MUFC

➡️ A loan is more likely than a permanent deal at this stage

➡️ #BVB coach Edin #Terzic is in regular contact with Sancho as they appreciate each other very much.

Nevertheless, a return to Dortmund in the winter is very unlikely but not 100 % excluded for all involved.

Most important for Sancho: He wants to play regularly!

Bavarian Podcast Works — Flagship Show: Season 6, Episode 12 (Bavarian Football Works)

Compared to last week, Bayern Munich really gave us a lot to talk about this time round. Unfortunately, not a lot of it is good news. A 2-2 draw to RB Leipzig marks the third consecutive game where Thomas Tuchel has failed to win versus Marco Rose and his cans. In the meanwhile, the bosses have suddenly begun and almost finalized talks with Jerome Boateng, which is causing a variety of reactions from the fanbase. Meanwhile, Max Eberl was sacked by RBL and he’s rumored to be on his way to Bayern, while there’s also a game against Copenhagen in the Champions League this week.

In this episode, INNN and Cyler discuss the following:

• Why does Thomas Tuchel seem incapable of beating the better teams that he faces?
• Understanding why Tuchel dislikes giving certain players like Thomas Muller, Noussair Mazraoui, and Matthijs de Ligt playing time.
• The entire problem with Tuchel’s philosophy with the squad.
• An in-depth look at the controversy surrounding the Jerome Boateng transfer — why this move would be a complete travesty.
• Is Max Eberl the next board member at Bayern Munich?
• How might Christoph Freund and Eberl get along?
• A quick preview of the Champions League game versus Copenhagen and what we can expect.