Second match, second victory – and the first (small) title of the season. Not only did FC Bayern enjoy a successful acid test against Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur, they also thrilled 72,000 fans at the Allianz Arena. “It was a bit of a surprise that the lads already produced a performance like that, I didn’t necessarily expect that yet,” said head coach Vincent Kompany: “The mental readiness is important and we showed that today.”
It was a match in glorious weather that provided many stories. Mathys Tel returned with his new club Tottenham Hotspur and was presented with a bouquet and very warm words as he said goodbye. He thanked the club: “I’m very happy to be here. This stadium is my home. I have many emotions – Mia san mia forever!” And there was the early reunion with João Palhinha just four days after the FCB loanee left Munich for London. There were the FC Bayern pros wearing the new black Champions League kit for the first time. And there were – maybe the best aspect of the thrilling evening – the two wonder goals by Campus talents Lennart Karl and Jonah Kusi-Asare to make it three and four in the second half.
Committed and aggressive
But the German record champions were very focused and aggressive from the start. Young talents had started against Olympique Lyon, but Kompany fielded a team that the fans would expect to see against the Europa League winners. They were very committed in their press, winning many balls and forced the visitors deep into their own half.
Munich created chances galore and took the lead after 12 minutes. The industrious Michael Olise found Harry Kane, who shone with a fine first touch with his right foot before finding the net with a left-footed finish. The striker had a big chance to double the lead two minutes later, but Kane slipped and miscued the penalty after Palhinha had upended Josip Stanišić.
But not only the 15 chances FC Bayern created in the first half were impressive. They showed individual quality, aggressiveness and cleverness in defence that stunned the fans – many of them wide-eyed kids. Munich broke free again and again to threaten on the break.
Watchable and artistic
There were watchable passes and artistic first touches by players like Luis Díaz, but further goals refused to come at first. Leon Goretzka missed (26’, 36’, 38’) and Kingsley Coman miscued with the goal at his mercy (45’). The visitors created remarkably little, not because they weren’t able to, but because the committed home side didn’t let them. Bayern played 175 passes to Tottenham’s 44, 11 crosses to one and three corners to none in the first half – the stats spoke for themselves. “It was a really good performance. We were very dominant from start to finish and in a good flow. It was a step in the right direction,” Harry Kane commented after the match against his former club.
FC Bayern refused to ease off after the restart. The industrious Coman and Kane set up Michael Olise, who miscued from six yards (50’). Díaz failed to score after a one-two with Olise in a very similar situation two minutes later. Tottenham keeper Guglielmo Vicario made a fine save against Olise (53’). Bayern boasted 16 shots to Tottenham’s three ten minutes into the second half. “It was surprisingly good. You normally feel that you need five or six weeks, but we’ve only had five proper sessions. For the lads to play like that, with that intensity – that was fun,” said Kompany, who added: “But it’s not an end point for us. Pre-season has only just begun and we need to establish the physical prerequisites.”
The best move of the game
What followed was not the second goal but the best move of the game: Dayot Upamecano, Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich won the ball and broke free after a one-two. The ball found the unmarked Konrad Laimer via Kane, Díaz and Stanišić, but the Austrian fired over from 12 yards (57’).
Bayern had to wait for Kingsley Coman to add a second when he crowned his strong display with a wonder goal, unleashing an incredible curler that found the top left corner of the net (61’). Harry Kane had only Vicario to beat but missed before Kompany shuffled his deck and made nine changes. But Bayern still refused to shift down through the gears after many Campus talents had come on. The subs displayed at least as much verve, zest and quality. “The lads put in legwork, fought and pressed,” said Kompany: “They have their qualities on the ball.”
The spectators celebrated Minjae Kim’s strong block and Lennart Karl’s sensational pass to Díaz with a Mexican wave. What followed was the perhaps most emotional story of the evening: 17-year-old Lennart Karl finished clinically when he curled the ball into the left corner of the net. To celebrate the wonder goal, the Campus talent sat down in front of the south stand with a broad grin, his arms crossed.
But that was not the end: Jonah Kusi-Asare, another youngster, celebrated a sumptuous goal when he curled the ball into the opposite corner of the net with his other foot from the other side. Munich demonstrated that the fans don’t need to be worried about the future of FC Bayern in the slightest. The German record champions will be back in action on Tuesday when they take on Grasshoppers Zürich at Letzigrund Stadium in their third pre-season test match.
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