Bavarian Football Works - Bayern Munich vs SC Freiburg: 2022/23 Bundesliga full coverageManufacturing goals in the German tradition, for domestic consumption and for export.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47275/bavarian-fave.png2022-10-20T07:00:00+02:00http://www.bavarianfootballworks.com/rss/stream/231696832022-10-20T07:00:00+02:002022-10-20T07:00:00+02:00Opinion: Eric Choupo-Moting is the hero that Bayern Munich needs
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<img alt="FC Bayern München v Sport-Club Freiburg - Bundesliga" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/TAqkWVNJVOUMzwbQ5IZe_QJme88=/0x0:6000x4000/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71515352/1433955682.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>There’s a pretty capable No. 9 still operating in Bavaria. </p> <p id="bjcpwo"><em><strong>ICYMI:</strong></em><em> </em>An opinion aired just prior to Bayern Munich’s <a href="https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com/2022/10/19/23412014/fc-augsburg-bayern-munich-observations-match-analysis-choupo-moting-thomas-muller-jamal-musiala-sane">5-2</a> win in the DFB-Pokal over FC Augsburg.</p>
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<p id="OkbdmZ">He’s not the hero we deserve. </p>
<p id="NNc4sw">Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, <a href="https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com">Bayern Munich</a>’s long-standing #2 striker, has found himself on a team where the system has passed him by. Robert Lewandowski is an <a href="https://www.barcablaugranes.com">FC Barcelona</a> player now, so who exactly is he the backup <em>to</em>? Every time he plays, there are wonders about why not wonderboy Mathys Tel instead. Julian Nagelsmann laid out a striker-less vision this year, and to the extent that’s fallen short, it’s merely resulted in clamors for the next big <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/transfer-rumors">transfer window</a> splurge. </p>
<p id="vvZJ0s">Oh, and Choupo is also the Bundesliga’s <a href="https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com/2022/10/9/23392058/bayern-munich-eric-maxim-choupo-moting-insult-online-abuse-hoffenheim-ronaldo-united-frankfurt">most abused player</a> on Twitter.</p>
<p id="FXBNoe">But for sixty-six imperious minutes against SC Freiburg on Sunday, Choupo looked like he’d just been commanded to go Order 66 on the rest of the league. Rarely have Bayern looked <em>so</em> assured and comfortable playing lately, and by the time the dust settled, he’d bagged himself one goal, one assist, and plenty of <em>slick</em> interplay besides.</p>
<p id="HyGPhS">On the day Bayern were missing both their half-space magic-men, Thomas Müller and Jamal Musiala, Nagelsmann turned to his only box striker as the lone man up top. Choupo offered an extended glimpse at how Bayern can still play that way. And it looked darn good.</p>
<p id="NDVUHN">With Leroy Sané the latest to fall to a potentially nagging injury, depth has thinned out in the Bayern front four. This should now be Choupo’s time to shine, and Bayern’s chance to return to a more traditional 4-2-3-1 that — frankly — seems a lot more familiar still to everybody.</p>
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<img alt="FC Bayern München v Sport-Club Freiburg - Bundesliga" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/jmyb4jFKI2PYI9KiiexA5v2w58U=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24115732/1433958071.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images</cite>
<figcaption>Nagelsmann and his assistants have much to ponder as an injury-wracked Bayern try to close out the <em>Hinrunde</em>.</figcaption>
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<p id="z3TxQl">Make no mistake, the fine-tuning tactician and tinkerer in Nagelsmann offers something valuable. Müller appreciates it, Kimmich appreciates it, and Bayern really do need some of this new-age thinking to take on the best that Europe has to offer in the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/champions-league">Champions League</a>. </p>
<p id="Wf63k1">That's a problem for later. The knockouts won't come until the <em>Rückrunde. </em>Bayern will need to first shoot their way back to the top of the league. Those tricky half-space connections, fancy tip-tappings around the box, the cycles and cycles of passes...do Bayern's opponents in the league really call for it? Or might Germany’s most deluxe roster be doing little more than shooting their own feet?</p>
<p id="cYFWUB">Bayern’s next tests, against respectable but hardly earth-shattering Augsburg (in the DFB-Pokal Cup) and Hoffenheim, offer a chance to find out.</p>
<p id="5zUN0x">Count me among those who’d like to see Nagelsmann dial up another slice of Choupo <em>GOAT</em>ing for these games — and watching Bayern dominate lesser opposition the way they’ve always done. For that, Choupo is just the hero we need right now.</p>
<aside id="W8FVxk"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Are Bayern Munich over-complicating their attack?","url":"https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com/2022/10/3/23384468/bayern-munich-bayer-leverkusen-tactics-jamal-musiala-sadio-mane-thomas-muller-leroy-sane-nagelsmann"},{"title":"ICYMI: Does Bayern Munich need to dial down the tactics and get back to basics?","url":"https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com/2022/10/10/23396526/bayern-munich-nagelsmann-brazzo-kimmich-mane-transfer-sane-musiala-muller-gnabry-coman-goretzka-tel"}]}'></div></aside><hr class="p-entry-hr" id="MeC8u8">
<p id="I8IkQ3">Interested in more analysis of Bayern vs Freiburg? We have that plus so much more (including a discussion of Robert Lewandowski and an Augsburg preview) in the <a href="https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com/2022/10/17/23407725/bayern-munich-podcast-s5e16-robert-lewandowski-regret-transfer-fc-barcelona-freiburg-augsburg-review">latest episode</a> of our podcast. Listen to it below or <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/4akZuWwV3j20oVfzqjhKW5">on Spotify</a>. </p>
<div id="ljQdyl"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 152px; position: relative;"><iframe src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/4akZuWwV3j20oVfzqjhKW5?utm_source=oembed" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" allow="clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture;"></iframe></div></div>
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<p id="xAIfuB">As always, we appreciate the support!</p>
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https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com/2022/10/19/23405977/eric-maxim-choupo-moting-bayern-munich-striker-sc-freiburg-win-lewandowski-sane-muller-musiala-telzippy862022-10-19T16:30:00+02:002022-10-19T16:30:00+02:00Brazzo loves the partnership between Dayot Upamecano and Matthijs de Ligt at Bayern Munich
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<img alt="Bundesliga”Borussia Dortmund v FC Bayern München”" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ZBRYL3m63gj-8TntkgaF7llsHVY=/0x0:5701x3801/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71515794/1243917213.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by ANP via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The Bayern Munich duo was dynamic against SC Freiburg.</p> <p id="58KItx"><a href="https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com">Bayern Munich</a> fully throttled SC Freiburg 5-0 on Sunday and one aspect of the <em>Rekordmeister</em>’s excellence that got lost in the shuffle to some fans was the play of Dayot Upamecano and Matthijs de Ligt at center-back.</p>
<p id="uLnkDQ">Upamecano and De Ligt were tremendous on the day in limited SC Freiburg’s chances as both played key roles in helping goalkeeper Sven Ulreich earn a clean sheet. </p>
<p id="CGe5rR">For Bayern Munich sporting director Hasan “Brazzo” Salihamidžić the tandem has been excellent and is still getting even better in the absence of Lucas Hernandez. </p>
<p id="BUTi4J">“Dayot is playing a very good season. That’s how we always want to see him. In duet with Matthijs it works very well, they complement each other very well. The two have found each other,” Salihamidžić told <a href="https://twitter.com/mano_bonke/status/1581964100628008960?s=20&t=Z-oCASg0stSHJIgcXDt9Hg">Tz journalist Mano Bonke</a>. </p>
<p id="c1uUPv">Things have not always been perfect for both De Ligt and Upamecano over the course of this season as both players have had game-altering mistakes, but each player has also shown flashes of their own brilliance respectively. </p>
<p id="hfOcBl">When Hernandez returns, it will give Julian Nagelsmann three excellent options — and a terrific rotation — moving forward. </p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="MeC8u8">
<p id="I8IkQ3">Interested in more analysis of the game? We have that plus so much more (including a discussion of Robert Lewandowski and an Augsburg preview) in the <a href="https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com/2022/10/17/23407725/bayern-munich-podcast-s5e16-robert-lewandowski-regret-transfer-fc-barcelona-freiburg-augsburg-review">latest episode</a> of our podcast. Listen to it below or <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/4akZuWwV3j20oVfzqjhKW5">on Spotify</a>.</p>
<div id="ljQdyl"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 152px; position: relative;"><iframe src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/4akZuWwV3j20oVfzqjhKW5?utm_source=oembed" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" allow="clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture;"></iframe></div></div>
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<p id="xAIfuB">As always, we appreciate the support!</p>
<aside id="DMyn4E"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Bayern Munich 5-0 SC Freiburg: Initial reactions and observations from TOTAL dominance","url":"https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com/2022/10/16/23406091/bayern-munich-vs-sc-freiburg-lineups-live-stream-how-to-watch-bundesliga-updates-highlights"},{"title":"Match awards from Bayern Munich’s satisfying 5-0 win over SC Freiburg","url":"https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com/2022/10/16/23407455/match-awards-player-ratings-bayern-munich-win-freiburg-bundesliga-davies-leroy-sane-goretzka-choupo"},{"title":"Match observations from Bayern Munich’s 5-0 demolition of SC Freiburg","url":"https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com/2022/10/16/23407324/bayern-munich-sc-freiburg-observations-match-analysis-mane-musiala-sane-de-ligt-kimmich-goretzka"}]}'></div></aside><p id="j4QiJt"></p>
https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com/2022/10/19/23408656/brazzo-upamecano-matthijs-de-ligt-bayern-munich-hernandez-pavard-bundesliga-sc-freiburg-nagelsmannCSmith19192022-10-19T10:00:35+02:002022-10-19T10:00:35+02:00Bavarian Podcast Works S5E16: Does Robert Lewandowski regret leaving Bayern Munich? + Freiburg review and Augsburg preview
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<img alt="FC Bayern München v Sport-Club Freiburg - Bundesliga" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/IE5jDrp0Zt_R21j3mjNfJz-xAdI=/170x254:5120x3554/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71503930/1433906327.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Samrin and INNN review Bayern’s game against Freiburg and discuss a certain former player. </p> <p id="i5Ps4W">So <a href="https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com">Bayern Munich</a> just won 5-0 against a team that were, coming into the game, above them in the table. In beating Christian Streich’s SC Freiburg, Julian Nagelsmann has capped off one of the most impressive performances of the season so far. Meanwhile, a certain someone who agitated a move to <a href="https://www.barcablaugranes.com">FC Barcelona</a> is staring the Europa League in the face, and coming off a defeat in his inaugural Clasico. The two FCBs contrasting fortunes make for good discussion fodder this week. </p>
<p id="yBLLhA">In this episode, INNN and Samrin discuss:</p>
<ul>
<li id="te8L4x">Did the presence of a target man in Choupo-Moting make the difference? </li>
<li id="MfBC4T">Leroy Sane’s new role that demolished SC Freiburg. </li>
<li id="g3iqlm">Why chance conversion seems like the major issue at Bayern this season. </li>
<li id="ibGkEH">A debate over how Bayern Munich control games and manage the tempo after taking the lead. </li>
<li id="TFvHR9">Our headline topic: Does Robert Lewandowski regret moving to FC Barcelona? </li>
<li id="8UluaC">How Lewy’s move could end up backfiring on him. </li>
<li id="FlHsr7">Who could start for Bayern Munich against Augsburg? Who should start? </li>
<li id="6HCr54">Benjamin Pavard vs Noussair Mazraoui — who looks better?</li>
<li id="VksyRS">How Julian Nagelsmann needs to balance player minutes with games vs Hoffenheim and Barcelona coming up and the cramped fixture list. </li>
<li id="cOY1H8">Finishing off with a final prediction for the game from INNN. </li>
</ul>
<div id="bBZhgJ"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 152px; position: relative;"><iframe src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/4akZuWwV3j20oVfzqjhKW5?utm_source=oembed" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" allow="clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture;"></iframe></div></div>
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<p id="RZuGJ1">Be sure to stay tuned to Bavarian Podcast Works for all of your up to date coverage on Bayern Munich and Germany. Follow us on Twitter @BavarianFBWorks, @TheBarrelBlog, @tommyadams71, @bfwinnn, and more.</p>
<aside id="TQQFOf"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Match awards from Bayern Munich’s satisfying 5-0 win over SC Freiburg","url":"https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com/2022/10/16/23407455/match-awards-player-ratings-bayern-munich-win-freiburg-bundesliga-davies-leroy-sane-goretzka-choupo"},{"title":"Four observations from Bayern Munich’s 5-0 demolition of SC Freiburg","url":"https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com/2022/10/16/23407324/bayern-munich-sc-freiburg-observations-match-analysis-mane-musiala-sane-de-ligt-kimmich-goretzka"}]}'></div></aside>
https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com/2022/10/17/23407725/bayern-munich-podcast-s5e16-robert-lewandowski-regret-transfer-fc-barcelona-freiburg-augsburg-reviewIneednonameSamrin_TwinkleFCB2022-10-19T09:00:00+02:002022-10-19T09:00:00+02:00Bayern Munich’s Julian Nagelsmann urges Serge Gnabry to hit benchmark performances again
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<img alt="FC Bayern München v Sport-Club Freiburg - Bundesliga" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/HTTlVCJyo2pu_oALAUlKN5ziAwE=/0x0:5450x3633/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71514657/1434131520.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Markus Gilliar - GES Sportfoto/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Newly-minted contract extension in tow, Gnabry still has much to prove in Bayern’s formidably deep attack.</p> <p id="MeC8u8">Serge Gnabry may have recently extended his contract with <a href="https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com">Bayern Munich</a> this summer, but he has a lot to prove to head coach Julian Nagelsmann — like anybody in an attacking group so deep and laden with talent.</p>
<p id="mLvZFW">But the present injury situation isn’t leaving much wiggle room for selections into the <em>Nagelsmann-Elf</em>, and Gnabry, for his part, is finding his form. Sunday’s outstanding Bundesliga display against SC Freiburg was indicative of the heights he could reach, according to his coach. </p>
<p id="PLPAoy">He’ll just need to do that more often.</p>
<p id="0WvbuJ">“He was very good on Sunday, that’s his benchmark,” Nagelsmann said in his pre-game press conference ahead of Wednesday’s DFB-Pokal (<a href="https://twitter.com/iMiaSanMia/status/1582331566277394432">via @iMiaSanMia</a>). “I think highly of him. He was active except for ten minutes after the break. There’s a lot in him and he’s an important player for us. He will also play tomorrow, hopefully as actively as against Freiburg.”</p>
<p id="SBZw0h">Making sure all his attackers know that he’s keeping faith is not an easy task for Nagelsmann, but as has been the case with Leroy Sané so far, it’s one he’s handling with aplomb. </p>
<p id="AlGlBG">For Gnabry, Sunday was a chance to flex his skills in a more familiar right-wing role for him — rather than leading the line alone, or with Sadio Mané as his strike partner. <a href="https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com/2022/10/1/23378697/bayern-munich-bayer-leverkusen-bundesliga-sadio-mane-left-winger-serge-gnabry-choupo-moting-sane-tel">As has been the case</a> for players like Mané, it’s familiarity that Bayern are reaching for as times get tough.</p>
<p id="CnHnaJ">Wednesday against FC Augsburg, Gnabry will get his chance to keep it cooking.</p>
<aside id="Q65xQJ"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Serge Gnabry hails Bayern Munich’s “important statement” in SC Freiburg demolition","url":"https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com/2022/10/17/23405975/bayern-munich-vs-sc-freiburg-serge-gnabry-statement-win-kingsley-coman-sadio-mane-joshua-kimmich-psg"},{"title":"Augsburg vs Bayern Munich: Lineups, team news, preventing another 2nd round exit, and more!","url":"https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com/2022/10/18/23410573/augsburg-vs-bayern-munich-dfb-pokal-lineups-team-news-injuries-leroy-sane-thomas-muller-manuel-neuer"}]}'></div></aside><hr class="p-entry-hr" id="1yYJau">
<p id="I8IkQ3">Interested in more Bayern Munich content? Check out our detailed Augsburg preview along with analysis of the win over SC Freiburg and a major question about Robert Lewandowski in the <a href="https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com/2022/10/17/23407725/bayern-munich-podcast-s5e16-robert-lewandowski-regret-transfer-fc-barcelona-freiburg-augsburg-review">latest episode</a> of our podcast. Listen to it below or <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/4akZuWwV3j20oVfzqjhKW5">on Spotify</a>.</p>
<div id="ljQdyl"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 152px; position: relative;"><iframe src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/4akZuWwV3j20oVfzqjhKW5?utm_source=oembed" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" allow="clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture;"></iframe></div></div>
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<p id="dOgBOb">As always, we appreciate all the support!</p>
https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com/2022/10/19/23410320/serge-gnabry-benchmark-performances-julian-nagelsmann-bayern-munich-vs-fc-augbsurg-presser-sane-manezippy862022-10-19T04:30:00+02:002022-10-19T04:30:00+02:00Hasan Salihamidzic praises Serge Gnabry’s performance in Bayern’s win over SC Freiburg
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<img alt="Bundesliga”Borussia Dortmund v FC Bayern München”" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/RYVYs9_p1HSXBiVwjLeCAqgiJx4=/0x0:8035x5357/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71514214/1243916663.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by ANP via Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Brazzo is a big fan of Gnabry’s when the player is in top form, which was the case on Sunday evening against Freiburg. </p> <p id="1gaUr6">Serge Gnabry scored a goal and provided an assist in <a href="https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com">Bayern Munich</a>’s comprehensive 5-0 win over SC Freiburg at the Allianz Arena last Sunday and, quite arguably, put forth one of his strongest performances of the season thus far. It was the first time he’d recorded a goal or assist for Bayern across all competitions since the late August victory over Viktoria Koln in the first round of the DFB-Pokal and he’s been in and out of the starting lineup for Julian Nagelsmann.</p>
<p id="x2jp6P">With his goal rut for over a month earlier this season, questions had been asked of Gnabry, as he’s a player that rarely seems to find large spells of consistency for both club and country. At time, it seems like he will really turn it on for <em>Die Mannschaft, </em>but it won’t exactly carry over to his Bayern form, or vice versa. With his performance against Freiburg, though, sporting director Hasan “Brazzo” Salihamidzic was very pleased with what he saw from the attacker.</p>
<p id="yo9PRW">“I like to see him like that. When he has really good body tension, when he sprints like that, when he takes his actions, his finishes,” Brazzo said, explaining the positives that he saw from Gnabry in the win over Freiburg (<a href="https://www.abendzeitung-muenchen.de/sport/fcbayern/er-hat-ja-alles-bayern-sportvorstand-hasan-salihamidzic-lobt-antreiber-serge-gnabry-art-851720">Az)</a>. “After all, he has everything: he has a header, he has a super shot with his left and right. When Serge is in top form, we have a really good player,” he continued. </p>
<p id="Bcd0sr">Gnabry’s header to open the scoring against Freiburg was harder than it looked. It’s very difficult to generate a lot of power on a ball that’s just sort of lofted an looping in the air without much pace, but Gnabry made no mistake with his pinpoint effort from about eight yards out. His pass for Sadio Mane’s goal was as good, if not slightly better, than his header — it was perfectly weighted, perfectly timed, and put Mane in a fantastic position to chip over the on-rushing Mark Flekken.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="FC Bayern München v Sport-Club Freiburg - Bundesliga" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/As3zLfYPT3ZNgr7C_LP9O5c9gYs=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24121018/1433952587.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images</cite>
</figure>
<p id="g1AFj7">For Nagelsmann and Bayern, as the fixture congestion continues to pile up and injuries start to accumulate, he will be hoping that Gnabry is able to continue on in this run of form, especially now that Leroy Sane is facing three weeks on the sidelines due to an injury sustained against Freiburg. He’s shown in previous seasons that he can step up during the big moments, so that will be the minimum expectation. </p>
<aside id="i79rxS"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Serge Gnabry hails Bayern Munich’s “important statement” in SC Freiburg demolition","url":"https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com/2022/10/17/23405975/bayern-munich-vs-sc-freiburg-serge-gnabry-statement-win-kingsley-coman-sadio-mane-joshua-kimmich-psg"},{"title":"Christian Streich explains how Bayern Munich dominated SC Freiburg","url":"https://www.sbnation.com/e/23170025"}]}'></div></aside><hr class="p-entry-hr" id="4MSNiF">
<p id="I8IkQ3">Interested in more Bayern Munich content? Check out our detailed Augsburg preview along with analysis of the win over SC Freiburg and a major question about Robert Lewandowski in the <a href="https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com/2022/10/17/23407725/bayern-munich-podcast-s5e16-robert-lewandowski-regret-transfer-fc-barcelona-freiburg-augsburg-review">latest episode</a> of our podcast. Listen to it below or <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/4akZuWwV3j20oVfzqjhKW5">on Spotify</a>.</p>
<div id="ljQdyl"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 152px; position: relative;"><iframe src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/4akZuWwV3j20oVfzqjhKW5?utm_source=oembed" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" allow="clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture;"></iframe></div></div>
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<p id="dOgBOb">As always, we appreciate all the support!</p>
<p id="ClOnE1"></p>
https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com/2022/10/19/23411590/bayern-munich-sc-freiburg-hasan-salihamidzic-brazzo-serge-gnabry-performance-nagelsmann-sadio-maneTomAdams712022-10-19T01:30:00+02:002022-10-19T01:30:00+02:00SC Freiburg tried to contain Bayern Munich — but had one heck of an “off day”
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<img alt="FC Bayern München v Sport-Club Freiburg - Bundesliga" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/6Q4yFxyJbzsvZdaQI8IThHHt7UY=/0x0:2702x1801/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71513709/1433898769.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>SC Freiburg players explain a bitter defeat — more of a demolition — in their top-four brush with the Bavarian giants.</p> <p id="JbezMq">SC Freiburg players were at an utter loss for words. Christian Streich’s typically effervescent and well-coached team trudged their way to a 5-0 mashing, with Julian Nagelsmann’s <a href="https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com">Bayern Munich</a> team manning the stand mixer.</p>
<p id="PzWZFn">Caught between trying to play and go for it and remaining defensively compact, Freiburg accomplished neither and were cut apart and eviscerated for all the world to see. It <a href="https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com/2022/10/17/23405974/bayern-munich-sc-freiburg-player-ratings-mazraoui-sadio-mane-leroy-sane-kimmich-gnabry-mazraoui">wasn’t a pretty sight</a>. </p>
<p id="RsAlMA">Facing the press after the game were left-back (and Germany international hopeful) Christian Günter and defensive mid Nicolas Höfler. Their comments, <a href="https://fcbayern.com/en/news/2022/10/reaction-fc-bayern-vs.-sc-freiburg">via FCBayern.com</a>:</p>
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<p id="NCEy3H"><strong>Christian Günter (SC Freiburg captain): “</strong>The speed Bayern have in the middle, especially with Leroy Sané, is of course just so difficult to defend. They have incredible quality there. We didn’t manage to defend that. Overall, Bayern were simply the better team, and you have to acknowledge that today. Everyone gave their all, you can’t fault the team’s effort. Obviously the margin of victory annoys us, it was a bit too high.”</p>
<p id="o7nEFn"><strong>Nicolas Höfler (SC Freiburg):</strong> “We didn’t bring the energy onto the pitch today that has been our USP [unique service provided] all season. We were not compact enough, it was an off day. At the end of the day, we deserved to lose by that amount. Bayern were there and fully motivated, as you have to be in a top-of-the-table clash. Everyone knows that they have real quality on the ball and we didn’t manage to stop them.”</p>
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<p id="8yWfIW">At least in the first half, Freiburg did seem to try to keep it tight and narrow — something of a narrow 4-4-1-1, at least by average position. But the shell would get stretched and pulled apart by Julian Nagelsmann’s new-look 2-3-5 — a configuration that itself is hardly new to Bayern this season, but which deployed a box striker in Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting to lead the line for the first time in a Bundesliga game.</p>
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<img alt="First-half average positions, with the ball for Bayern Munich versus against the ball for SC Freiburg." data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/OrAbqhGvPe8YhS7buufSmO5oQhA=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24118868/screen.jpg">
<cite>ESPN+</cite>
<figcaption>First-half average positions</figcaption>
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<p id="qQvS0v">The effects were devastating, through the middle as well as along the wings. In every aspect and on every part of the pitch, Bayern were able to overload and overwhelm their opponents at will.</p>
<p id="m32tNx">In the end, a vintage Bayern demonstration, a 5-0 win — and an oft-heard refrain from the soundly-beaten opposition.</p>
<aside id="i79rxS"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Serge Gnabry hails Bayern Munich’s “important statement” in SC Freiburg demolition","url":"https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com/2022/10/17/23405975/bayern-munich-vs-sc-freiburg-serge-gnabry-statement-win-kingsley-coman-sadio-mane-joshua-kimmich-psg"},{"title":"Christian Streich explains how Bayern Munich dominated SC Freiburg","url":"https://www.sbnation.com/e/23170025"}]}'></div></aside><hr class="p-entry-hr" id="4MSNiF">
<p id="I8IkQ3">Interested in more Bayern Munich content? Check out our detailed Augsburg preview along with analysis of the win over SC Freiburg and a major question about Robert Lewandowski in the <a href="https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com/2022/10/17/23407725/bayern-munich-podcast-s5e16-robert-lewandowski-regret-transfer-fc-barcelona-freiburg-augsburg-review">latest episode</a> of our podcast. Listen to it below or <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/4akZuWwV3j20oVfzqjhKW5">on Spotify</a>.</p>
<div id="ljQdyl"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 152px; position: relative;"><iframe src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/4akZuWwV3j20oVfzqjhKW5?utm_source=oembed" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" allow="clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture;"></iframe></div></div>
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<p id="dOgBOb">As always, we appreciate all the support!</p>
https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com/2022/10/19/23405980/bayern-munich-vs-sc-freiburg-reactions-christian-gunter-hofler-leroy-sane-choupo-moting-nagelsmannzippy862022-10-18T13:30:00+02:002022-10-18T13:30:00+02:00Sadio Mane on Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting after Bayern Munich’s 5-0 win over Freiburg: “What a player!”
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<img alt="FC Bayern München v Sport-Club Freiburg - Bundesliga" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/wZVVEi8DI5xnHSfDzdZRkPWIt_4=/0x0:5810x3873/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71510052/1433939393.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by S. Mellar/FC Bayern via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Mane had plenty of praise for his teammate for his role in Bayern’s dismantling of SC Freiburg. </p> <p id="yBYnZS"><a href="https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com">Bayern Munich</a> leapfrogged SC Freiburg in the Bundesliga table with their thoroughly convincing 5-0 victory over them at the Allianz Arena, and the score line perhaps even flatters Christian Streich just a bit. Bayern very easily could’ve scored more than five goals, but Julian Nagelsmann can be delighted with the fact that there were five different goal scorers on the night; Serge Gnabry, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, Leroy Sane, Sadio Mane and Marcel Sabitzer.</p>
<p id="I8YJv9">Rotations based on injuries, suspensions, and resting some players ahead of the DFB-Pokal clash against FC Augsburg saw Nagelsmann field a starting attacking four of Choupo-Moting as the lone striker with Sane, Mane, and Gnabry behind him. It was the first time we’d seen this sort of starting lineup from Bayern so far this season, but it worked wonders against Freiburg.</p>
<p id="QzyDVO">Speaking after the big win, Mane had high praise for Choupo-Moting, who did exceptionally well to spin his defender in Freiburg’s box after controlling Sane’s outside of the foot pass to slot one past Mark Flekken and make it 2-0 to Bayern. “What a player! He played well for us and was a big part of our win today. He fights a lot, wins almost all of his duels. He’s good at hitting the balls. A fantastic game from him,” he told Tz’s Philipp Kessler.</p>
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<p lang="de" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Man%C3%A9?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Mané</a> über <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ChoupoMoting?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ChoupoMoting</a>: „Was für ein Spieler! Er hat gut für uns gespielt, hat heute einen großen Anteil an unserem Sieg. Er kämpft viel, gewinnt fast alle seine Zweikämpfe. Er kann die Bälle gut festmachen. Ein fantastisches Spiel von ihm.“ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FCBSCF?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FCBSCF</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FCBayern?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FCBayern</a></p>— Philipp Kessler (@kessler_philipp) <a href="https://twitter.com/kessler_philipp/status/1581772450601533440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 16, 2022</a>
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<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<p id="QG5JZE">He did have injury problems that kept him out of most of the beginning of the season thus far, but Choupo-Moting has still only made a total of eight appearances for Bayern thus far this season. Most of the aforementioned appearances have been as a substitute, as the start against Freiburg was his first start of the season. Despite not having a plethora of minutes under his belt, he’s still proven his worth, scoring twice and assisting once from his appearances, carrying on in the same vein as he had when most often serving as a backup to Robert Lewandowski.</p>
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https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com/2022/10/18/23409074/bayern-munich-sc-freiburg-sadio-mane-eric-maxim-choupo-moting-bundesliga-win-nagelsmann-streich-dfbTomAdams712022-10-18T09:00:00+02:002022-10-18T09:00:00+02:00Christian Streich explains how Bayern Munich dominated SC Freiburg
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<img alt="FC Bayern München v Sport-Club Freiburg - Bundesliga" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/p5_ZBwItfg0FxXw4S15UpyGmxCA=/0x0:2591x1727/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71509714/1244036332.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Poor Streich had to witness a massacre and couldn’t do anything about it. | Photo by Roland Krivec/DeFodi Images via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Streich lauds Bayern for their efforts, while acknowledging that nobody from the Freiburg camp was good enough.</p> <p id="wkQwjI">In an absolute thriller of a game, <a href="https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com">Bayern Munich</a> won 5-0 against SC Freiburg in the Bundesliga, capturing the table second spot. Freiburg looked utterly hapless as Bayern thoroughly massacred and demolished the men from Breisgau. </p>
<p id="Cdvu7L"><a href="https://fcbayern.com/en/news/2022/10/reaction-fc-bayern-vs.-sc-freiburg">Per Bayern’s website</a>, Freiburg’s head coach Christian Streich explains that Bayern’s mental quickness made them the better team and left Freiburg with no chance to do anything. “We just didn’t have the gas to keep up with them, which is why we lost,” he said on Freiburg’s lack of stamina. </p>
<p id="1uBmau">Of course, this being a night to forget for Freiburg, Streich and co. must move forward and think about what is next. “We’ll forget this, go home and think about the next game. We weren’t good enough today, the players weren’t, I wasn’t,” he lamented. “We tried to go for it — that was probably the wrong idea. But hindsight is a wonderful thing.”</p>
<p id="TR1dwh">The same sentiment was echoed by the rest of the Freiburg camp who felt they simply fell flat and that given Bayern’s effort and quality, this wasn’t unexpected by any means. They touted their inability to defend and be compact to be prime reasons for the loss. </p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="rwfEtW">
<p id="I8IkQ3">Interested in more Bayern Munich content? Check out our detailed Augsburg preview along with analysis of the win over SC Freiburg and a major question about Robert Lewandowski in the <a href="https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com/2022/10/17/23407725/bayern-munich-podcast-s5e16-robert-lewandowski-regret-transfer-fc-barcelona-freiburg-augsburg-review">latest episode</a> of our podcast. Listen to it below or <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/4akZuWwV3j20oVfzqjhKW5">on Spotify</a>.</p>
<div id="ljQdyl"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 152px; position: relative;"><iframe src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/4akZuWwV3j20oVfzqjhKW5?utm_source=oembed" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" allow="clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture;"></iframe></div></div>
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<p id="xAIfuB">As always, we appreciate the support!</p>
<aside id="DMyn4E"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Bayern Munich 5-0 SC Freiburg: Initial reactions and observations from TOTAL dominance","url":"https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com/2022/10/16/23406091/bayern-munich-vs-sc-freiburg-lineups-live-stream-how-to-watch-bundesliga-updates-highlights"},{"title":"Match awards from Bayern Munich’s satisfying 5-0 win over SC Freiburg","url":"https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com/2022/10/16/23407455/match-awards-player-ratings-bayern-munich-win-freiburg-bundesliga-davies-leroy-sane-goretzka-choupo"},{"title":"Match observations from Bayern Munich’s 5-0 demolition of SC Freiburg","url":"https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com/2022/10/16/23407324/bayern-munich-sc-freiburg-observations-match-analysis-mane-musiala-sane-de-ligt-kimmich-goretzka"}]}'></div></aside><p id="iH7GUS"></p>
https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com/2022/10/18/23405984/bayern-munich-vs-sc-freiburg-streich-musiala-mane-sane-gnabry-de-ligt-davies-kimmich-nagelsmannMuller_Era