FC Bayern have acquired a remarkable characteristic in 2026. The Munich side no longer need 90 minutes to win their games. A strong second half is enough – and with astonishing consistency
A look at the most recent results shows a clear pattern. In the 8:1 win against Wolfsburg, FC Bayern were only just 2:1 ahead at the break. In Cologne, the score was 1:1 after 45 minutes, in Leipzig the record champions even went into the half-time break 1:0 down. And in the 2:0 working win in the Champions League against Union Saint-Gilloise, the score was still 0:0 at half-time
What all of these games have in common is that Munich stepped up the pace, intensity and determination significantly after the break – and ultimately won the games in commanding fashion. All in all, a good half is currently enough for FC Bayern to win games at the highest level – a trend that is becoming increasingly apparent
Eberl warns against a false sense of security
As impressive as the streak is, it is not just being celebrated internally. Sporting director Max Eberl was critical after the Champions League match against Saint-Gilloise, particularly with regard to the first half
„Against Wolfsburg, Cologne and Leipzig, it had to do with the opposition. Today it had more to do with us, that we didn’t do it the way we can from the start,“ explained Eberl immediately after the game
The 52-year-old made it clear that this trend should not be a permanent state of affairs: „We can’t always rely on the fact that we can turn games around in the second half!“ Eberl’s warning is clear: against absolute top opponents, a weak opening phase could at some point no longer be without consequences
Kompany sees the problem more with the opponent
Head coach Vincent Kompany takes a more nuanced view of the development – and with a certain change of perspective. The Belgian disagrees with the purely negative interpretation and instead sees a structural advantage for his team
„The question has come up a few times, I’ve thought about it. If you turn it around a bit, you could say that it’s a problem for the other teams, because they’ve always become weaker in the second half,“ explained Kompany at the press conference ahead of the Bundesliga clash against FC Augsburg
At the same time, the Bayern coach was realistic about the first 45 minutes: „It’s the Bundesliga, when the opponent is so fresh in the first 45 minutes and gives everything for the game plan, that then everything is not so easy, that we score two or three goals and everything is over. That’s not how it works, not in the Bundesliga, not in the Champions League.“
The Leipzig game in particular serves as a warning example for Kompany: „Against Leipzig, the opponent was much better than us at the start, we survived that, but I don’t want to see it like that anymore.“ Nevertheless, he makes it clear that the current development is the lesser evil from his point of view: „I prefer things to not go so well in the first half and then go well in the second. The other way around would be a big problem!“
Ultimately, it is clear that FC Bayern are currently mentally, physically and tactically capable of dominating games after the break. Whether this trend is an expression of maturity, clever stress management or simply individual quality remains to be seen. What is clear, however, is that as long as the results are right, Munich can afford this luxury – without any brilliance in the first half.