On Tuesday, FC Bayern played a friendly match against 1. FC Heidenheim. It was meant to be the final tough test before the season’s first competitive match, the Super Cup in Dortmund.
Several players returning from the World Cup, who had only recently resumed training, were also in action. Dayot Upamecano was even in the starting lineup, while Harry Kane and Michael Olise sat on the bench.
Vincent Kompany started with a few young players, including Maycon Cardozo, Wisdom Mike, and Bara Sapoko Ndiaye. Joshua Kimmich, Tom Bischof, and Manuel Neuer were among the players not included in the roster.
Bayern Trailed Twice
Right from the start, the hosts from Heidenheim showed they were already in top form. The second-division side came out aggressively and displayed their trademark pressing style. The first goal came just over four minutes in, with Heidenheim scoring after winning the ball and making a quick transition. Yannik Wagner kept his cool, finding the back of the net alone in front of Jonas Urbig to make it 1–0.
It took Bayern a little over ten minutes to make their presence felt. However, early shots by Bara Sapoko Ndiaye and Wisdom Mike were blocked. Bayern had to be careful to defend well against counterattacks, as FCH switched play at lightning speed whenever the opportunity arose. Wagner, in particular, kept creating good chances. After 24 minutes, however, Bayern struck back. Felipe Chavez scored a magnificent goal on a direct free kick, sending the ball perfectly into the top right corner.
Shortly after that, Heidenheim landed another jab, but Bayern generally became more determined. After half an hour, the first pre-planned substitutions were made: Dayot Upamecano and Wisdom Mike were replaced by Minjae Kim and Ismael Saibari. FCB tried to take more and more control of the game from there on, but Heidenheim scored again just before halftime. Julian Niehues’ 2-1 goal was quite unfortunate, as Bara Sapoko Ndiaye headed the ball right onto his foot.
Bayern Wins—Concerns Over Musiala
After the break, it didn’t take long for the score to be tied again. A solo run by Binder led to a foul, resulting in a penalty kick. Arijon Ibrahimovic stepped up and coolly slotted the ball into the right corner. After that, the game slowed down a bit. Heidenheim remained bold whenever the opportunity arose, while Bayern tried to control the game.
After an hour, Bayern made seven substitutions at once, bringing on Michael Olise, Jamal Musiala, and Harry Kane, among others. Musiala immediately set up Kane, who missed a good chance. Musiala then failed to put the rebound into the net with a header of his own.
Shortly afterward, however, another Musiala scare followed: Once again, he collapsed lifelessly on the field, just as he had against Leipzig. After brief treatment, he quickly left the field and was substituted out once more.
Shortly after, Luis Díaz, beautifully set up by Olise, scored to make it 3–2 for Bayern. From close range, he simply had to tap it in. Nathaniel Brown even extended the lead to 4–2 with a nice solo run, staying cool in front of the goal just as he had against Leipzig. In the closing minutes, Olise curled the ball toward the far corner, but his shot was superbly saved. Despite a few more chances, the final score remained 4–2 in favor of FCB.