Bayern Munich News: The aftermath of FC Bayern’s 3-0 win over Werder Bremen

Die Folgen: Bayern’s 3-0 win over Werder Bremen (Bavarian Football Works)

Bayern Munich traveled to Weserstadion for a Bundesliga date with Werder Bremen on Valentine’s Day…and it turned into a massacre as one would expect.

Never seriously challenged, the Bavarians rolled to a tidy 3-0 victory over the River Islanders in a match that featured two goals from Harry Kane and one from Leon Goretzka.

Let’s get into the details from the victory, here are some quick hitters on the match:

• There were some interesting selections. There was no Alphonso Davies, Hiroki Itō, Michael Olise (suspension), Aleksandar Pavlović, Jamal Musiala, or Dayot Upamecano. Konrad Laimer started at left-back, while Leon Goretzka, Serge Gnabry, and Kim Min-jae also got the nod. Notably, Lennart Karl started at right wing, where he could play in an inverted style.
• As expected whenever this is a heavy rotation, Bayern Munich was choppy to start. Against a very motivated Werder Bremen squad, some fans got uneasy quickly, but it was all part of the feeling out process.
• Karl, though, would make an impact with some dynamic dribbling, which led to him getting taken out on the box. After a review (for some reason, it seemed to be very obvious), the penalty was awarded and the #PenaltyMerchant (said in jest, so relax) Harry Kane drilled it home for a 1-0 lead in the 22nd minute.
• After some horrific build out play against an aggressive Bayern Munich press, Kane would shed that moniker with a perfectly placed show that eluded Mio Backhaus, who was not in the best position anyway for a 2-0 lead.
• Kane, who was making an early case for Meister of the Match, found Luis Díaz with a great leading pass, which the Colombian eventually fired into Backhaus. Honestly, Díaz had not done that in a while; he was due after an absolutely incredible spell.
• Joshua Kimmich was having a brutal game early on. He just looked off in every way. I still wonder if that ankle is an issue — and if so, why he needed to play this game.
• Kimmich, of course, was getting slammed for a really bad half and subsequently, a bad game. I rate Kimmich more than most here (dodges tomato), but if anyone can tell me he looks as mobile or has any burst at all after that ankle injury in…November (!?), I’d say you are crazy. He just can’t move the same.
• Maybe Kimmich is fine and I’m overthinking this, but either way — this is the exact kind of game where you can have Kimmich take a seat on the bench. Tom Bischof and Goretzka handled Werder Bremen last time around from the start. An ankle injury can linger for months without proper rest and recovery. Kimmich has world class doctors and facilities to continue to rehab it, but sometimes, it just takes time and it will not get fully better without proper rest.
• It was really disappointing to see Kimmich playing in late November and December when he should have been sitting. It is a case where someone needs to talk him off a ledge. Think about it, it’s the last month without an insane schedule, he could have rested/rehabbed from Wednesday to next weekend. Instead, Kimmich was out there battling (credit for that), but clearly dealing with something.
• It is eerily similar to Kim Min-jae (Achilles tendonitis) last season when he was hurt and making a ton of mistakes and not moving well at all. Worse, a player’s decision-making can be directly affected by not being able to move the way you are used to or do the same things at the same speed as normal. It’s a real thing.
• Otherwise, Werder Bremen had some moments where it posed a threat, but Bayern Munich was solid.
• Oddly, Jonas Urbig stepped in for Manuel Neuer at halftime. Neuer was seen talking to a doctor at halftime and was ultimately revealed to have a calf issue (which was deemed not serious by board member for sport Max Eberl). That is not good, but also why playing time needs be to be monitored so closely for veterans like Neuer and Kimmich.
• The Neuer injury and the lack of a threat seemed to take some of the wind out of Bayern Munich’s sails. Urbig did have a big save, though, to keep the clean sheet going.
• In the 70th minute, Jamal Musiala did some nice work in getting to the ball to Alphonso Davies who put a nice pass on the foot of Goretzka, who drilled home a shot for a 3-0 lead. That had to feel good for Goretzka!
• Backhaus made a great save on Musiala in the 80th minute. It would have been cool to see Musiala score there.
• After a not-so-great report about Kim Min-jae on late Thursday, the South Korean turned in a great performance, which he needed! It was a very solid showing overall for the big defender.
• In added time, Karl sent a Nicolas Jackson a nice pass (yes, it could have been a little bit more in front of him, but a good pass nonetheless), but Jackson could not stay on his feet.
• Overall, it was a dominant effort from Bayern Munich, but not necessarily one where we just saw them slicing up Werder Bremen for 90 straight minutes. The thing is, it did not necessarily need to be that way. It was a good, solid win over a team the Bavarians were supposed to beat up. Mission accomplished!

If you missed our our Initial Analysis, Match Awards, Observations, or Postgame Podcast, give them a look or a listen:

Vušković too expensive for Bayern (Sport Bild’s Christian Falk)

Bayern Munich might like Tottenham Hotspur loanee Luka Vušković, but the Hamburger SV defender — who might want to stay in the Bundesliga — is likely going to be too expensive for the Bavarians:

✅ It is TRUE: Bayern Munich believe Luka Vušković now falls outside of their price range. The club is at the end of negotiations with Dayot Upamecano – all that’s left now is to sign the actual contract, which everyone believes will take place this week. After that point, Bayern won’t be able to afford a player like Vušković. Tottenham will have an idea of what the centre-back will cost. But the main point is that if you have a player like Jonathan Tah and Upamecano, Vušković won’t have regular playing time, which is incredibly important for such a young player (18). I think he knows that. So, he’s not a topic at the moment. On the other hand, he’s an interesting player for the future – but not at the moment!

With Dayot Upamecano officially inking his new deal and Kim Min-jae reportedly unwilling to leave, there is no room for the talented Croatian at the Inn.

Spurs leading on Pulisic (ESPN)

Speaking of Tottenham Hotspur, the London squad is reportedly looking to bring in AC Milan and USMNT star Christian Pulisic:

Tottenham Hotspur are leading the race for AC Milan winger Christian Pulisic, TEAMtalk reports. Spurs have registered “concrete interest” in the 27-year-old, with the belief that he could make an instant impact at the club. The report adds that his representatives have also made contact with Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United, but Spurs, who have recently been linked with United States men’s national team manager Mauricio Pochettino, have been the most interested. Pulisic will enter the final year of his contract at San Siro in the summer.

Juve wants to keep Vlahović at lower salary (Gazzetta dello Sport)

Dušan Vlahović has been linked to Bayern Munich several times, but his salary cost to be a backup is likely prohibitive for the Bavarians.

As he enters free agency this summer, Juventus is attempting to retain the Serbian, but will ask him to take a pay cut.

Vlahovic will have three months to try to hold on to Juve. His contract expires on June 30, but for now, the player has not wanted to follow up on requests to sign with other clubs for free, postponing any decision until the summer. In the meantime, the club will have the opportunity to see him play a little longer under the new coach and—given the precedents with McKennie and others who have surprisingly found themselves back in the spotlight—it is worth considering that Spalletti may also reposition Vlahovic in his plans for the future. This is also because the two have a strong rapport, and the player’s characteristics are precisely what Spalletti’s system is lacking at this stage.

Assessments— There are currently no negotiations between Vlahovic and Juve, and it is not certain that there will be any between now and the end of the season. However, it is clear that the club has been looking for a striker with the Serbian’s characteristics throughout January, and the player’s return to the squad will provide a solution to the team’s needs for the end of the season. Assessments about the future will be made once the season is over: Vlahovic has not received any attractive offers at the moment; the club could also keep him with a reduced salary and possibly a short contract, in order to make more significant investments in other areas. Dusan’s position: he wants to win, and this new Juve team excites him greatly.

Getting a striker in his prime to take a pay cut? Good luck…

City to make play for Anderson? (ESPN)

Manchester City could be polished to make a move for rumored Bayern Munich transfer target and Newcastle United midfielder Elliot Anderson:

Manchester City are preparing a bid for Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson, according to TeamTalk. They reportedly see the 23-year-old as a long-term addition, but whether they make a move hinges on if manager Pep Guardiola remains at the Etihad Stadium. Any deal is expected to require an offer worth between £80 million and £100 million, while Manchester United are also continuing to keep close tabs on his situation.

Real didn’t make move for Karl (Sport Bild’s Christian Falk)

Real Madrid might not be lobbing interest in Lennart Karl after all:

❌ It is NOT TRUE: Real Madrid have submitted an enquiry for Lennart Karl. Every week, you have some rumours about Karl and Real Madrid. On the one hand, it’s because he trained there in the past, and on the other, he mentioned a “dream” to play there one day. There have been all kinds of rumours since, including that Real Madrid have sent a jersey to him – but this is simply not true. It’s not true that they made an offer already. What is true is that when he turns 18 this February on the 22nd, he will automatically get a new contract until the summer of 2029. Bayern won’t sell him.

If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor…

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