Three observations from Bayern Munich’s rollicking 4-3 win vs. Manchester United

Bayern Munich have started their Champions League campaign on a positive note as they beat midtable Manchester United 4-3 at the Allianz Arena. Goals from Leroy Sané, Serge Gnabry, Harry Kane, and Mathys Tel made sure that goals from Rasmus Højlund, Casemiro, and Bruno Fernandes were mere consolations. What are the takeaways from today’s game?

Leroy Sané is on fire

No one is on the level of Leroy Sané right now. The 27-year-old former Manchester City winger has been absolute boss in both the Bundesliga and now in the Champions League as well. Scoring from a difficult angle eased the pressure on Bayern and compounded it on United. Apart from an instance where he dribbled too far across the box, he has been good.

Tuchel’s tactics need redoing

Lethargic starts and failure to keep composure are alarming.

Bayern started off the game on the wrong foot as they allowed United to run all over them. The Germans tended to keep possession and either get dispossessed or dribble too much before then getting dispossessed. That let United play their game as they threatened Bayern’s goal, but it proved to be futile. Fortunately, the Rekordmeister found their groove and scored twice. Towards the end of the game, Bayern stepped off the gas and let in two goals in the last 10 minutes.

Thomas Tuchel needs to rework his tactics because a well-disciplined team will exploit the weaknesses that Bayern have.

Does Tuchel have an agenda against Thomas Müller?

It is common knowledge that any Bayern coach that does not utilize Thomas Müller will not last long in the job, but could this be an indicator of something else? Müller is fit enough to start this game but gets benched again. There is a suspicion that Tuchel favors speed like he did against City last season, but speed isn’t always the answer.

The team is not playing at their best, so Müller is the key to unlocking the full potential of this talented squad. Mind you, Tuchel will play Müller one day and realize that he should have played the Raumdeuter more than he did.