Four observations from Bayern Munich’s sauntering 3-0 win over SC Freiburg

Bayern Munich enjoyed a 3-0 win over SC Freiburg, which included a pair of goals from Kingsley Coman, a goal from Leroy Sané, and a pair of disallowed goals from Sané and Mathys Tel. Bayern showed utter dominance over Freiburg throughout the 90, barely ever letting the opposition into the box, let alone having a shot on target. Let’s have a look at some of the noteworthy observations after this game.

Leroy Sané is the best in the world

There is no running away from it. There is no denying it. Even the most adamant Premier League watcher and fanboy has to bend to his whims because he is simply that good. Leroy Sané put in a performance and a half today, scoring a ridiculous goal and nearly doubling it with another insane goal (which still looks onside to me). On top of that, Sané was great at recycling possession with his drops into midfield and was the most creative player on the pitch, fashioning several chances for his teammates which they were unable to finish.

Sané’s partnerships with Alphonso Davies — who himself had a fantastic game — and especially Harry Kane are important to note: the quick combinations and exchanges are a key part of Sané’s game and unlock him. It seems the switch from the right wing to the left has not made the German miss a beat in his otherworldly form.

Kingsley Coman still looks indecisive

Kingsley Coman was the difference-maker for Bayern today with a pair of goals and some great chance creation, but there is still something off about him. Coman was often indecisive in the final third, making the wrong decision or no decision at all, causing the attacks to slow down and fizzle out. The Frenchman had his moments of brilliance but also had his moments to forget. Both his goals had some massive luck involved in them as well. Coman also had a couple of chances to score in more conventional ways that he squandered, so there are definitely question marks about this performance despite the goal contributions.

Spotless in defense

The defense was brilliant today. The back four of Alphonso Davies, Dayot Upamecano, Kim Min-jae and Noussair Mazraoui all put in fantastic performances. Davies in particular was a joy to watch both defensively and especially offensively, as he often quickly turned an interception into a run past the Freiburg midfield and into the final third. Mazraoui too was creative with his runs and passes, and Kim’s progressive passing was a particular highlight. Upamecano had a quiet game on the ball but he did his job very well, spotting the gaps when he needed to.

An actual midfield?

After a couple weeks of having no midfield, it seems Thomas Tuchel figured out how to set up a midfield once again, as Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka worked perfectly in tandem today. Kimmich was defensively excellent, positionally smart and great at progressing the ball from deep. Goretzka was present in build-up, dropped when needed and may have been a little rough in the final third but was in the important positions when needed with his late runs and carries into the box.

Looking for more analysis of the game? Is Leroy Sané (arguably) the best player in the world right now? What about Thomas Muller — how does he influence the way Bayern Munich plays in 2023? We talk about all that and a lot more (including a bit on Germany and Nagelsmann) in our newest podcast episode! Listen to it below or directly on Spotify.

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