Have Kompany, Bayern addressed the frailties of final season?

For those who watched solely the primary half of Bayern Munich‘s 3-2 victory at VfL Wolfsburg on Sunday with us on ESPN+, you will rightly marvel how on earth the Rekordmeister bought itself into deep hassle. Why, in coach Vincent Kompany’s first Bundesliga match in cost, was there such a real threat of dropping factors after a first-half stroll that noticed domination to the tune of eight pictures to at least one?

The solutions lie in a journey again to final season’s wobbles.

Kim Min-Jae, particularly, has proven himself to be not correctly tailored to the totally different calls for of the Bayern sport versus what he skilled as a deeper-sitting defender in Serie A. At Bayern, the central defenders’ beginning positions are larger than they have been for Kim at Napoli, and when Wolfsburg coordinated their urgent within the second half, the South Korea worldwide regarded greater than mildly bothered by all of it, particularly within the lead as much as the concession of the second Lovro Majer aim.

Kompany, an completed defender in his time, is healthier positioned than most to kind out the leaky Bayern defence, though one suspects the this can stay a considerably wobbly space of the Bayern facet, one now shorn of Matthijs de Ligt. Dayot Upamecano stays a proficient participant with great restoration tempo, however partnerships and matching personalities are every thing in a again 4, and neither Upamecano nor Kim put on the look of a real defensive chief.

It is not with out good trigger that former supervisor Thomas Tuchel appeared to want the extra modest Eric Dier — signed purely as a canopy participant — to any of his costlier options.

The explanation for Sunday’s preliminary second-half hunch cannot all be positioned on the door of the centre-backs, nonetheless. Sacha Boey was the responsible social gathering once we assess the penalty award for Wolfsburg. It is a pity as a result of the previous Galatasaray man performed beautiful attacking soccer earlier than the break, organising the opener for Jamal Musiala and forging a fantastic understanding with Michael Olise on the fitting flank.

Bayern usually are not blessed with wide-ranging choices defensively proper now, and the issue has started exacerbated by the medium-term knee harm absence of Josip Stanisic. That is why Jonathan Tah has been front and centre as a signing target. The necessity for a commanding participant on this sector of the pitch hasn’t gone away.

It is proper to ask — as ESPN colleague Archie Rhind-Tutt requested Harry Kane — if the Wolfsburg sport falls within the class of a match Bayern would have misplaced or maybe drawn final season?

I believe there is a robust case that it will have gone the incorrect means. The gamers from center to entrance — together with Kane, who was excellent, and Thomas Müller off the bench with written directions from the teaching employees parked in his shorts — excelled.

Müller is now on his personal as membership report holder with 474 Bayern appearances within the Bundesliga. There are occasions when particular person qualities shine by over ways and this sport was one such instance, allied to Bayern gumption that Müller himself personifies.

Serge Gnabry additionally deserves a particular point out. A participant principally within the harm doldrums final season, he greater than anybody bought into place to hassle the Wolfsburg defence and it was becoming that he bagged the 82nd-minute winner.

Gnabry can contemplate himself unlucky to not have acquired a name from Bundestrainer Julian Nagelsmann.

VAR dominates Bundesliga opener

Final Friday’s Bundesliga Eröffnungsspiel (official opener) between Borussia Monchengladbach and Bayer Leverkusen was electrical to commentate on from the atmospheric Borussia Park, and the 2 sides produced memorable fare. Sadly on the finish of an exciting sport, VAR was the loudest, most strident actor, continuously inserting itself into the proceedings leading to prolonged delays and to the chagrin of Gladbach with each choice seemingly going towards die Fohlenelf.

The largest dialogue level was saved till the very finish with Leverkusen chasing one among their by-now-trademark last-gasp wins. Ko Itakura appeared to play the ball in difficult towards Amine Adli contained in the field and solely later caught the foot of the Morocco worldwide.

Referee Robert Schröder in actual time opined no penalty however later modified his thoughts after the trot over to the evaluate space. The top of DFB referees, Knut Kircher, then mentioned on Sunday it was a call within the gray zone and subsequently on that foundation should not have been reviewed.

I need to admit it was good right here in Germany this week to have two midweek DFB-Pokal video games to look at with out the VAR issue, however we’re naive if we predict it may instantly be eliminated by Europe’s high leagues some day quickly.

Reyna’s lowered position at Dortmund

The entrance web page of the twice weekly German soccer journal Kicker carried the Thursday headline “Reyna greift aufs Neue an” (“Reyna assaults afresh”).

Giovanni Reyna and Borussia Dortmund: the subject I in all probability hear from informal American Bundesliga watchers most about, typically even being blamed previously for not vocally declaring the sheer “injustice” of Reyna continuously being missed by former BVB coach Edin Terzic. Dortmund followers right here in Germany have not often seen it that means, by the way.

Reyna has mentioned previously that there isn’t a shifting up from Dortmund, and his Nottingham Forest mortgage expertise from January on final season was removed from a really perfect match.

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Gomez: Gio Reyna is ‘rotting’ at Borussia Dortmund

Herc Gomez explains why he thinks Gio Reyna ought to go away Borussia Dortmund on this switch window.

Sporting chief Sebastian Kehl’s comments this week that Reyna probably nonetheless has a job on the membership — albeit as a squad participant, not a star — signify actuality. There may be enormous competitors at BVB, however on the similar time, die Dreifachbelastung (the burden of three competitions, together with a extra bloated UEFA Champions League) provides alternatives.

As Kehl famous, “There are sufficient video games the place we’ll want him and we all know he has unimaginable capabilities,” whereas including that Reyna has labored on his stability and his Ausstrahlung (his on-pitch look, maturity and aura).

United States males’s nationwide staff followers maybe should be extra accepting of the scenario. There is a widespread German expression, “das Leben ist kein Wunschkonzert,” which successfully means you do not all the time get what you need in life.

Right here is the constructive: Reyna stays at a high membership and is within the place of valued challenger in a crowded area with every thing to achieve, plus a brand new coach in Nuri Sahin. Would it not actually be higher for him to step down right into a lesser league than combat for a spot among the many finest?

If Reyna himself sees this as the proper path for himself and his profession, who’s to say he is incorrect?