Three observations from Bayern Munich’s 6-1 thumping of Holstein Kiel

Bayern Munich came out guns blazing as club football made a return, moving atop the Bundesliga table for the first time in over a year by securing a 6-1 win over newly-promoted Holstein Kiel. The floodgates opened within the very first seconds as Jamal Musiala put Bayern ahead and two goals in quick succession from Harry Kane and Kiel’s own defender saw Bayern take an early 3-0 lead before the 15-minute mark. Kane made it two with an effortless strike before the break. Micheal Olise added a fifth in the second half only for Kiel to score one back, but Kane finished the job and converted his penalty to record his first hat trick of the new season. Here are some observations from the game.

World-class Vertikalspiel

There is no doubt today that Kiel was astronomically poor — they had glaring holes in their structure, made it far too easy for Bayern to create chances, and messed up early on in the game setting the tone for Bayern players to run rounds around the Kiel defence. Nonetheless, a lot of Bayern’s build-up particularly in the first half was brilliantly done.

In particular, the passing was great. Bayern constantly made an effort to play longer balls and make direct, vertical passes — something Bayern teams of late have missed. Kiel did make it easier for Bayern to play those passes, but it was nice to see the players actually make the best possible move in most situations instead of simply passing sideways. There was a sense of urgency and attacking direction tonight that has not always been there from the Bayern midfield.

It will be interesting to see how Aleksandar Pavlović fits in this kind of setup, with such an emphasis on direct forward passing — an area in which the youngster excels.

This was far from the ideal game plan, however. Bayern’s many lapses in concentration led to the team losing possession often, and a better team would have punished Bayern rather than allowing them to win back the ball as easily as they did.

The (almost) perfect attack

Serge Gnabry has not been the easiest player to praise for a long time, but it seems that he is slowly beginning to find his groove again this season. Gnabry’s constant explosive runs were a focal point of Bayern’s attack in the first half and led to many chances being created off quick cutbacks and crosses into the box. It is a shame that Gnabry didn’t get his own name on the scoresheet, because he certainly deserved a goal tonight.

Vincent Kompany’s new system allows Kane to play his natural game more and work simultaneously as a creator in the final third and a finisher. Kane’s superb performance — and hat-trick — tonight was a testament to the same, proving again that he can do both better than most can do one.

Musiala was as explosive as ever and his performance was a continuation of his form with the national team and a clear clapback at France Football and other critics after he was left out of the 30-man nominee list for the Ballon d’Or.

If anyone might feel they could have left more out on the field, though, it was winger Kingsley Coman, who will hope for sharper and more influential days if he is to continue commanding a place in a Bayern attack with so many options.

The bench didn’t help

Of course, in any game that ends with a massive scoreline favoring Bayern and a single goal conceded, it is impossible to ignore the goal Bayern conceded.

The second half saw a clear drop-off in quality as subs from the bench were bought on to preserve players’ fitness for the upcoming Champions League opener, but it was not a very inspiring performance from most. Konrad Laimer was caught lacking (although Joshua Kimmich wasn’t any better at defending) during the Kiel goal and Mathys Tel didn’t provide anything of value. Michael Olise was a bright spot — he had some great moments and really should have started the game over Coman. Unfortunately. Thomas Müller did not get his birthday goal, but he was the subject of a foul that should have led to a Bayern penalty.

You’d just hope for a little more from fresh legs. On the bright side, at least this tie did not end in the same fashion as the one on a cold windy DFB-Pokal night in January 2021. Certainly not revenge, but it was far more pleasing.

That’s it for tonight! Next up, the Champions League.