Tactical deficiencies, Manuel Neuer, and more | Three things we learned as Bayern Munich crumbled to a 4-1 defeat against Barcelona
On Wednesday evening, Bayern Munich received their second successive defeat in the Champions League as Barcelona overcame Der Rekordmeister with a 4-1 victory at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys.
Just before the first-minute mark, Raphinha stunned Vincent Kompany’s side by opening the scoring, as Barcelona threatened to run wild over their German opponents.
Harry Kane would soon level the scoring to restore parity, but Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha would make the most of poor Bayern defending to turn the tide as the record champions headed into the break with work to do.
After the interval, while Bayern would dominate in the attacking third, they would fail to create any clear goal-scoring opportunities as Barcelona drifted towards a comfortable victory over the German record champions.
Raphinha would find time to complete his hat-trick and add a fourth for the Spanish outfit as they rise to ninth in the Champions League table, but for Bayern, the pressure is on, as they sit in 23rd place having fallen to back-to-back defeats.
Vincent Kompany has clear tactical deficiencies
Since arriving at the Allianz Arena, Vincent Kompany has been under considerable scrutiny, having received the top job at Bayern on the back of relegation from the Premier League with Burnley.
Having been heavily scrutinised during his time in England for failing to adapt his tactical approach, it appears as though it will be an issue that will follow the Belgian head coach around for the foreseeable future.
So far this season, Der Rekordmeister have occasionally looked poor defensively, but against Barcelona, they looked lost at sea.
From the first minute, it appeared as though Kompany had informed his side to disregard their defensive duties as if the reigning Spanish champions would not possess any sense of attacking threat.
However, on numerous occasions, Bayern’s backline seemed to be totally out of sync, with some players pushing up while others sat back, making Barcelona’s job of finding space and getting in behind a fairly simple task.
From a Bayern perspective, it was an embarrassing display, and one that cannot happen again; otherwise, Kompany will more than likely feel the wrath of his fans as well as the Bayern board.
Is Manuel Neuer’s time up?
For over a decade, Manuel Neuer has been a reliable figure in the Bayern starting XI, becoming recognised as one of the best goalkeepers of all time.
This has, therefore, made it difficult to imagine a life where he is not the number one at the Allianz Arena—unless sidelined with injury.
Nevertheless, against Barcelona, the former German international displayed clear signs of regression, whether that be in his shot-stopping or ball distribution.
Having faced an xG of 2.1, as per Fotmob, Neuer conceded two more goals than what was expected, a statistic that is not normally associated with the 38-year-old, while he also misjudged the flight of the ball for the Catalan’s second goal.
As well as this, Neuer gave up possession a number of times, failing to make simple passes and offering Barcelona a number of opportunities to add to their lead.
Should this continue, then Bayern may begin to look for the future as Neuer’s reign as the club’s number one comes to an end.
A lack of quality in Bayern Munich’s backline
At RB Leipzig, Dayot Upamecano established himself as one of European football’s most sought-after defenders.
While at Napoli, Kim Min-jae earned the reputation of being Serie A’s most feared centre-back, becoming known as a ‘monster’ in Italy.
However, at Bayern, both have failed to prove their worth on a consistent basis, with inconsistencies and mistakes plaguing their performances.
Once again, both were unable to impress as Barcelona played their way through the pairing, with Kim partly at fault for Barcelona’s second goal, failing to show strength, composure, or quality in the air and in reading the flight of the ball.
As for how much longer Bayern can continue to trust the pair is unknown, but it is little surprise that Thomas Tuchel entrusted Eric Dier and Matthijs de Ligt towards the end of last season.
GGFN | Will Shopland
