Daily Schmankerl: The aftermath of Bayern Munich vs. Heidenheim; Harry Kane or Robert Lewandowski...who ya got?; Arsenal eyeing Juventus star Dušan Vlahović; Mike Arteta backs Kai Havertz; Florian Wirtz gets more attention; & MORE!

Die Folgen: Bayern’s 4-2 victory over Heidenheim (Bavarian Football Works)

Bayern Munich captured another three points — this time at the expense of a feisty Heidenheim side.

For Thomas Tuchel, it was touch-and-go for a while as his heavily rotated lineup started out great, but wore down and let the newly-promoted club back into the match. In the end, though, Bayern Munich was simply too good.

Here are some quick hitters on the game:

• The lineup was definitely interesting and smart by Tuchel. Resting Leon Goretzka was a great move, while Alphonso Davies undoubtedly could have used the extra downtime to reboot himself as well (well, at least until he came in as a sub).
• Not only is Goretzka dealing with his hand injury, but he picked up a “muscle issue.” Bayern Munich needs to get him healthy.
• How good is Harry Kane? The Englishman is just an absolute machine. All of last season, Bayern Munich was lying to itself and the fans by trying to play without a top-flight No. 9. Kane’s presence has opened up the attack and he has lived up to his lofty billing as one of the world’s best strikers. Kane staked Bayern Munich to a 2-0 lead, but the Bavarians coughed it up.
• Do you prefer “Prime Lewandowski” or “Prime Kane”?
• It is tempting to keep riding Leroy Sané, but it feels like he could start to use a few more days off mixed in now, so that he will be ready when really needed later this season. With Sané (who was solid on Saturday), Gnabry, and Coman, it does always feel like they need their workload managed properly to ensure they stay in prime condition.
• The backline was...fine...sort of...maybe. Kim Min-jae continues to struggle a bit and Noussair Mazraoui just is not differentiating himself that much these days as he once was. That said, it is not time to bury either guy...they just each were not great.
• Bouna Sarr is what he is, but at least Dayot Upamecano is looking good. For Upamecano, it is a matter of whether or not he can get past his current status of “just about fully healthy” and progress to “full healthy.”
• The starting midfield duo of Aleksandar Pavlović and Konrad Laimer was...okay. Not great, not terrible...but okay. For Pavlović, it was a good way to ramp into life with the first team. For Laimer, though, he needs to be better than he was, which again was...okay.
• Thomas Müller’s shift only last 61 minutes, but it was a good run for the old fella.
• After Heidenheim knotted the game, goals from Raphaël Guerreiro and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting put the match away for Bayern Munich, but it was disconcerting to see how fatigued Bayern Munich looked and how it let Heidenheim make a comeback.
• Credit to Heidenheim, though, they showed a ton of heart and fight.
• Overall, Kane is a monster and Bayern Munich is continuing to do enough to bring in three points (for most games), but there is still a little voice whispering about how there is still ample room for improvement — and also that is must get better. Right now, though, it is time to enjoy the moment and the incredible show that Kane is putting on.

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

Gunners still eyeing Vlahović (@Transfersdotcom)

Surely, no Bayern Munich fans are ruing the day that the club acquired Harry Kane from Tottenham Hotspur instead of securing Juventus hitman Dušan Vlahović.

Kane, of course, has just been that good, but the big Serb is impressing folks — including Arsenal FC:

Wirtz is making quite the name for himself (@WhoScored)

Bayer Leverkusen ace Florian Wirtz is not going to stay hidden in Germany much longer...or at least it seems that way:

Bavarian Podcast Works — Weekend Warm-up Podcast Season 3, Episode 18 (Bavarian Football Works)

Bayern Munich was sleepwalking for the majority of its Champions League match against Galatasaray, but did pull out a victory that frustrated many fans.

The Bavarians eventually snared a 2-1 win ahead of this weekend’s Bundesliga showdown with Heidenheim. We will cover ALL of that, plus take a look at those pesky transfer rumors surrounding Joshua Kimmich and our old friend Robert Lewandowski’s recent struggles with FC Barcelona.

Here is the full rundown of what we have on tap for this edition of the Weekend Warm-up Podcast:

• A breakdown of the Bayern Munich vs. Galatasaray match.
• A preview of Bayern Munich vs. Heidenheim — will Thomas Tuchel learn his lesson with injuries?
• Thoughts on Robert Lewandowski’s struggles with FC Barcelona and those links to MLS (do I have to fire up another post like this?)
• How legit are the Joshua Kimmich transfer rumors?

Bad timing on this on..(@ESPNFC)

I will likely always be a “Prime Lewandowski” guy because of his pure hunger for goal and his creativity in finding ways to put the ball into the net, but — right now — as Harry Kane is on fire and the Polish Hitman is mired in one of the worst slumps of his career, it is not even close:

Zirkzee impressing at Bologna (Get German Football News)

Former Bayern Munich striker Joshua Zirkzee is starting to make a name for himself in Italy:

Bologna star Joshua Zirkzee has spoken about his time at Bayern Munich, revealing that playing street football there shaped him into an adult that he is today. The Dutchman has hit form this season and has impressed many, scoring three times and racking up two assists in 11 Serie A games. He has one goal in the Coppa Italia, with things looking really promising for the 22-year-old forward this season.

A product of the Bayern Munich youth academy, Zirkzee had a loan spell at Parma in 2021 and then joined Anderlecht on loan. He joined Bologna permanently, but it appears as if there is a release clause in place which could allow Bayern Munich to bring him back to the club.

Zirkzee was asked about this clause in a recent interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport and he said: “Now I know… I became an adult there but let’s say street football shaped me. Because it’s always a duel, you fight for yourself, if you fall on the asphalt you get hurt a lot and then you train to stand , because you feel free to play. A school of life, of football, where you have to improve yourself every day. I never went home, like many children. And mother Doris got really angry. How many scoldings have I received.”

He was also asked about his future at the Rossoblu and he responded that he wants to do big things at the club, saying: “The road is long and you have to work hard every day. If you ask me what I prefer between making Bologna great or going to play for a big club soon, I tell you that the right choice is making Bologna great. Then we’ll see you.”

Arteta fan of Havertz (@FabrizioRomano)

Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta is a believer in Kai Havertz. We are not sure who else is on that train (Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann maybe?), but it has to be slim pickings:

Bavarian Podcast Works — Flagship Show: Season 6, Episode 17 (Bavarian Football Works)

Craziness is abound as Bayern Munich had the most painful of losses and the most exuberant of wins within four days of each other.

The Helter Skelter nature of the team’s performances on the pitch continues, but — more than anything — Bayern Munich keeps winning in the Bundesliga and Champions League.

There is a lot to talk about and analyze, so that’s what we will do. Here is what is on tap for this edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works — Flagship Show:

• Some thoughts and analysis on Bayern Munich massive 4-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund in Der Klassiker — and why even a certain type of loss would have been an okay result (I know...blasphemy).
• A preview of Bayern Munich vs. Galatasaray in the UCL.