Three observations from Bayern Munich’s Arsenal-esque 2-3 win over Union Berlin

The ghost of Mikel Arteta haunts Bayern Munich

Corners. Penalties. Zero goals from open play. Desperate defending at the back. Two own goals. Did I describe an Arsenal game from a few years ago, or Bayern Munich tonight?

Union Berlin were the only team apart from the Gunners to take points from FC Bayern this season. So coming into this game, Vincent Kompany had something to prove. He needed to show that his team had learned lessons from games gone by. Well, it seems those lessons paid off.

Bayern Munich scored twice from a corner and once from a set piece. These numbers are practically unheard of for this club. Meanwhile, in terms of game balance, it was fairly lopsided in Union’s favor — the Bavarians were pinned back for most of the second half. This was not the confident, self-assured defensive performance that we saw against PSG. Bayern were rattled, and trying desperately to stay afloat.

By the end of the game, Union had all their attackers on the pitch while Bayern were subbing on defenders. There was no measure of control, no dominance, and no style. It was the exact thing Arsenal under Arteta have been accused of at their lowest points in the past few years.

So, was this a one off, or is Kompany tweaking more behind the scenes? The game against the Gunners was a turning point for Bayern, one the players swore they would learn from. Well, it seems the lessons are paying off — but if this is the outcome, is it something we want?

It is too soon to rely on Lennart Karl

Lennart Karl is only seventeen years old, and there is too much pressure on his shoulders.

Starting his fourth competitive game in a row, the youngster was one of the more lively players on the pitch. Still, he was a far cry from his usual mercurial self — barely making an impact over the duration of the minutes he played.

Simply put, this is too much too fast for him. Karl needs more rest, and he needs to be protected from these extremely high pressure situations. The Stadion An der Alten Försterei is a cauldron, and Union used their home support as the twelfth man to pressure the Bavarians. Thrown into a game like this, Karl seemed overwhelmed — and more than a little tired.

Maybe Serge Gnabry wasn’t completely fit to start. Musiala is injured, and Guerreiro isn’t the man for this game. Still, Kompany should have tried something else. Why not put Nicolas Jackson on as a striker, and let Harry Kane be the #10? He had options to spare Karl the minutes, and didn’t take them. This shows that the coach sees Karl as part of his best XI right now. While that says good things about his faith in the youngster’s capabilities, it’s too early to rely on him just yet.

Bayern Munich have to hold back and not make the mistake FC Barcelona did with their young talents. Pedri, Gavi, and Lamine Yamal all got thrust into key roles for the Catalans at a very young age, and suffered for it later down the line with injuries and dips in performance. The Bavarians are not so desperate as to trot Karl out for every single game, so it would be prudent of Kompany to handle his starboy with a little more tact.

Ugly, ugly, ugly performance

There is not a single Bayern Munich player who can say they had a good performance against Union Berlin.

Harry Kane was perhaps the best of the lot — he scored the only goal by a Bayern Munich player, and had a few solid attempts on the side. Still, it was a mixed bag for the England captain, because Bayern barely attacked in the second half, and he is technically responsible for the second penalty.

Luis Diaz and Michael Olise were both poor. Aleksandar Pavlović was anonymous. Joshua Kimmich got an assist, but his performance in midfield left a lot to be desired — for the third game in a row now. Josip Stanisic was overwhelmed rather easily on his side. Konrad Laimer didn’t have his usual impact. As for the rest of the defense, you can’t fault them for the goals conceded, but there were parts of the game where it got incredibly dicey.

Overall, this was one of those days where nothing clicks for the team. It is a credit to Vincent Kompany that the side he has coached can pull out a victory even when playing at 30% or less. Especially since Union were pushing all the way, and had help from their 12th man (the fans) and 13th man (the referee).

Still, you sense that Bayern Munich have lost a step ever since the international break. The obliteration of Freiburg covered up a very slow start, and there was nowhere to hide against Arsenal. St. Pauli almost pulled off an upset, and Union were allowed momentum that they never should have gotten, given the vast gulf in quality between the two sides.

It feels like the team is starting to run out of steam. Kompany needs to rotate more aggressively now, perhaps start sacrificing a few points in the Bundesliga to make it happen. The squad is thin and he has to be creative. If Bayern Munich are to limp into the winter break intact, then they cannot afford more ugly performances like this one.

Miscellaneous observations

• Bayern scored from two corners and didn’t concede from any. Baby steps.

• The referee was a total disaster. The momentum would never have shifted to Union if not for those two penalties. Now, the fact that Bayern couldn’t shift the momentum back is a problem, but separate to the question of refereeing.

• Manuel Neuer has never been good at penalties, but his attempts tonight were especially poor. Penalties are truly his kryptonite.

• Bayern Munich defended like prime Atletico Madrid against PSG, then turned to jelly against Union. Why?

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