Three competitive games, three wins, the first time without conceding a goal and taking back the lead in the table from Borussia Dortmund – there was a lot to celebrate for FC Bayern on Sunday. It wasn’t the big show this time, but a strong 20 minutes in the first half was enough for the Munich team to score three more safe points .
“It certainly wasn’t a lavish celebration like the last two games. It took us a little bit to get into the game. The two goals before the break did us a lot of good and we had a lot of control in the second half”, said Thomas Müller at “DAZN”.
Thanks to the double strike from Jamal Musiala (33rd) and Müller (44th), FC Bayern have now scored in 83 Bundesliga games in a row – and confirmed their lead in the table for the first time.
Three things that stood out in FC Bayern’s first home win in 2022/23.
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1. WOLFSBURG REVEALS (POSSIBLE) WEAKNESSES OF FC BAYERN
The first ten minutes belonged to VfL. The guests went into the duels aggressively, attacked Bayern early and came dangerously in front of Manuel Neuer’s goal two or three times.
“We didn’t hide and were really good at the beginning,” said Captain Maximilian Arnold at “DAZN”. If they had possession of the ball, they didn’t hesitate for long, but played quickly and, above all, high forward. “Wolfsburg played long balls very early on, so we didn’t get into our pressing at all,” stated Müller.
The Wolves preferred to try this approach on the left attacking side and the fast Omar Marmoush, with whom Bayern right-back Benjamin Pavard initially had great difficulties. The Frenchman revealed blatant speed disadvantages, was sometimes wrong to the ball and mostly only saw Marmoush’s heels.
Pavard’s defense also gave Wolfsburg a chance to score an early lead. A cross from Mattias Svanberg found Patrick Wimmer’s head at the far post, and Alphonso Davies shin-footed his deposit into the middle, just about on the outside of the post.
As the game progressed, Pavard caught himself, but he also benefited from the wolves being too passive. VfL withdrew instead of continuing to work on FC Bayern’s recognized weaknesses – at least in this game.
2. DAVIES MAKES BAYERN EVEN MORE UNPREDICTABLE
Alphonso Davies’ star rose exactly two years ago to the day. In FC Bayern’s 8-2 win over FC Barcelona in the 2020 Champions League quarter-finals, the Canadian played half a knot in Barça’s legs and became the new left-back star almost overnight.
After two years with some health setbacks, Davies is back in top physical condition as the 2022/23 season begins. When he runs balls off opponents, although he is actually in a much worse position (like against Wolfsburg when he won the ball against Maxi Arnold), Davies always has a certain degree of ease.
With his speed, Davies can open up entire defenses, and with his overview he creates scoring opportunities. Exactly what happened before Müller made it 2-0, when he broke through on the left and passed the ball to Joshua Kimmich, whose shot Müller profitably deflected.
But Davies has more to offer offensively. He not only races blindly up and down the line, but also keeps looking for the way from the left to the middle. If Davies leaves his side, Sadio Mané or Jamal Musiala move to the left. This makes it even more difficult for the opponents to attack Bayern.
The variable position play has become a big plus for FC Bayern without Robert Lewandowski. A strong Davies makes the Munich offensive a bit more unpredictable.
3. JAMAL MUSIALA ALREADY MORE EFFECTIVE THAN THE YOUNG ULI HOENES
Two goals against Frankfurt, one against Wolfsburg – Jamal Musiala salutes from the top of the scorer list after two games. In addition, the 19-year-old has also been at the top of other lists since Sunday evening: Musiala is now the teenager with the most Bundesliga goals (14) and has pushed Uli Hoeneß (13) into second place.
Musiala’s goal was the can opener for Munich, who had had their problems in the offensive game to date. With a bit of luck and skill, Musiala fell through against two Wolfsburg players, got back up immediately and shot the ball dryly from 17 meters into the left corner.
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But Musiala again had far more than this goal: handling the ball, taking the ball with the first contact, overview – the youngster stands out from a well-functioning Bayern offensive.
“He’s just playing exceptionally at the moment,” praised FCB CEO Oliver Kahn. “DAZN” expert Michael Ballack was pleased with Musiala’s “refreshing style – he does things that you would not expect. He is very willing to take risks, he doesn’t give a shit, to put it in German. He brings so much with him and is incredibly calm even in the penalty area you can’t learn that.”
Musiala also learned something new against Wolfsburg. “Sometimes something wild comes out of his passing game, but that was very good today,” said Müller.
As always, the celebrant remained modest. “I always try to do my best. If someone then wants to make me ‘Man of the Match’, that’s an honor for me,” said Musiala on “DAZN”. Won’t be the last time…
(by: Direct Win Prediction)