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After Bayern Munich opened the season with the DFL Super Cup, they now kick off the Bundesliga against RB Leipzig.
If you were expecting a game similar to last weekend, your expectations were ruined in the first half. For most of the half, Leipzig tried to play high and then hit Bayern on the counter, but it did not work. The hosts had all of the chances, with Michael Olise by far the best player on the pitch.
The Frenchman would open the Bundesliga season with a well-taken finish in the 27th minute. Bayern then became stone cold in their performance, a well-worked team goal was finished off with a missile of a finish by Luis Diaz to score his first Bundesliga goal for the defending champions. For the third, Leipzig’s defence fell asleep and allowed Olise to run into space, before he scored his second of the evening.
In the initial stages of the second half, Leipzig looked a lot more proactive in trying to get back into the game, but it was all too little too late. In the 64th minute, Harry Kane would score his first goal of the season to make it 4-0 for Bayern. Substitute Antonio Nusa would score a consolation goal to make it 4-1, but in a bizarre turn of events, the goal would be ruled out following the ball being in motion from the subsequent free-kick that played through Nusa.
After that, Leipzig would never truly trouble Bayern again and would score two more goals to make it 6-0 and score a hat-trick, or as they say in Germany, a ‘Lupenreiner’ (a perfect hat-trick scored one after another in the same half)
A statement win for Bayern to kick off the new Bundesliga season. Despite Jamal Musiala’s absence, the front three of Kane, Olise and Diaz proved deadly, especially with the latter two on the counter. Then coming off the bench Lennart Karl looked lively when he came off of the bench, and had several chances to score.
Leipzig, on the other hand, were completely lost and without a plan under Ole Werner. Over the summer, they have spent over €100m, none of it on their defence, and that showed. Their defence is the same as last season, and it showed. The changes that could be made are Maarten Vandevoordt replacing Peter Gulacsi, the club needs Benjamin Henrichs to return soon from his Achilles injury, and a centre-back may need to be bought before the transfer window ends.
The embarrassing loss on the opening day has already put Werner’s back against the wall, and improvements will be needed – fast.
The big, veneer grin of Jürgen Klopp will be lingering over him.
Bayern Munich:
Manuel Neuer (5), Konrad Laimer (6), Jonathan Tah (5), Dayot Upamecano (6), Josip Stanisic (6), Joshua Kimmich (6), Leon Goretzka (6), Michael Olise (8), Serge Gnabry (6), Luis Diaz (8), Harry Kane (8)
Others: Aleksandar Pavlovic (5), Min-Jae Kim (6), Sacha Boey (5), Lennart Karl (5), Jonah Kusi-Asare
RB Leipzig:
Peter Gulacsi (3), Ridle Baku (3), Castello Lukeba (4), Willi Orban (4), David Raum (4), Nicolas Seiwald (4), Xaver Schlager (4), Xavi Simons (4), Johan Bakayoko (5), Yan Diomande (5), Loïs Openda (5)
Others: Antonio Nusa (5), Romulo (5), Christoph Baumgartner (5), Ezechiel Banzuzi (5), Assan Ouedraogo (-)
GGFN Man of the Match: Luis Diaz (8)
Michael Olise, Harry Kane and Luis Diaz, take your pick. All of them worthy, Olise for his first half performance, Kane for his hat-trick.
I have gone for Diaz because this is his first Bundesliga game, and he ended the game with a goal and two assists. The Colombian offers something that Bayern have been missing, and that is someone who is able to cut inside and is simply direct. The highlight of Diaz’s night will be his goal, a well-worked team move, which he started, and his finish has already staked a claim for goal of the season.
GGFN | Jack Meenan
