FC Bayern could only manage a 2-2 draw at FC Augsburg. Three takeaways from the disappointing return to action after the international break.
FC Bayern returned from the international break with a setback. Despite numerous chances, Vincent Kompany’s team could not manage more than a 2-2 draw at FC Augsburg. The match yielded the following insights:
1. Neuer has sparked a goalkeeper debate
Manuel Neuer had a very poor afternoon in Augsburg. With the score at 0-1 after just eight seconds, the 40-year-old made a costly mistake. After a back pass, Neuer failed to control the ball cleanly and then played it right into the path of Robin Fellhauer, who scored the early goal.
The Bayern captain also didn’t look good on the second goal. Neuer parried Calvin Brackelmann’s shot in such a way that Rodrigo Ribeiro was able to tap it in for the 2-1 lead. For this, Neuer received a grade of 6 from FCBinside.
Max Eberl also had some strong words afterward. He said the first goal conceded was “a clear mistake” and was on Neuer’s head. The goalkeeper himself later referred to it as a “stupid mistake” and admitted that he should have made a different decision.
Of course, one poor afternoon doesn’t automatically make Neuer the number two. Nevertheless, this performance comes at an inopportune time for him. The role distribution for this season was actually clear: Neuer is the number one, and Jonas Urbig is supposed to continue developing behind him and eventually take over.
This debate could now gain momentum sooner than Bayern had planned. Urbig is returning from the national team on a high note, having most recently recorded two shutouts there. In addition, the 23-year-old could see action as early as Tuesday in the Champions League against Viking Stavanger—regardless of Neuer’s mistakes in Augsburg.
Should Urbig impress in Norway, that would further fuel the discussion. With his performance in Augsburg, Neuer has at least put himself in a situation where his next performances are likely to be scrutinized even more closely.
2. Karl and Bischof continue to lag behind at Bayern
Lennart Karl and Tom Bischof drew a lot of attention during the international break with the German national team. Karl even started in the 0-0 draw against Greece and played 63 minutes. As for Bischof, a discussion has recently emerged about whether he might even pose a threat to Joshua Kimmich’s starting spot in the future.
At Bayern, the pecking order remains quite different.
The match in Augsburg was particularly revealing in this regard. After a weak first half, FCB desperately needed a fresh spark. Kompany initially responded in the 67th minute by bringing on Serge Gnabry for Ismael Saibari. At the same time, Nathaniel Brown came on for Josip Stanisic.
Karl and Bischof, on the other hand, had to wait longer. It wasn’t until the 87th minute that Kompany brought on both young players. Karl replaced Luis Díaz, and Bischof came on for Aleksandar Pavlovic. Neither got more than a few minutes of playing time at the end of the match.
This is particularly noteworthy in Karl’s case. A veritable hype has built up around the 18-year-old in recent weeks. His market value has risen sharply, top international clubs have their eyes on him, and he’s even started for the national team. But when Bayern needs to step up offensively in a tight game, Karl apparently isn’t yet among Kompany’s first choices.
The situation is similar for Bischof. Kompany had already made it clear before the Augsburg game that his performances with the national team would not change his standing within the Bayern Munich squad. This was confirmed in Augsburg: Kimmich and Pavlovic started together again, while Bischof had to wait until shortly before the end.
Karl and Bischof are among the most promising young players on the roster. However, the current situation shows that both will have to continue working to earn a bigger role at Bayern.
3. A rocky start to the crucial weeks
Following the long international break, FC Bayern is now entering an intense phase with a packed schedule in the Bundesliga, Champions League, and DFB Cup. The team had hoped to start this stretch with momentum. Instead, they opened with a 2-2 draw in Augsburg.
The draw is particularly frustrating because a major opportunity had already presented itself before kickoff. Borussia Dortmund had also dropped points against Werder Bremen. With a win at FCA, Bayern could have taken the lead in the standings. That opportunity went unused.
Yet Kompany had emphasized before the game that his squad was ready for the grueling schedule. Their first appearance after the break was only partially in line with that. Although Bayern created numerous chances and managed 29 shots on goal, they appeared erratic—especially in the first half—and committed an unusually high number of technical errors. On top of that, they conceded avoidable goals.
Bayern’s restart into the upcoming crucial weeks has been a failure. There isn’t much time to dwell on it anyway: Viking Stavanger awaits in the Champions League as early as Tuesday. There, Bayern must prove that the 2-2 draw in Augsburg was indeed just a minor setback.