FC Bayern kicked off the new Bundesliga season with a convincing 5-1 victory over VfB Stuttgart. However, Vincent Kompany provided a surprise even before kickoff. Jonathan Tah had to start on the bench. Instead of the German national team player, the Bayern coach opted for Minjae Kim and Dayot Upamecano in central defense.
Tah had started in the Super Cup against Borussia Dortmund. Against Stuttgart, however, Kompany opted for a different lineup in his back four. In addition to Tah, Josip Stanisic was also rotated out of the starting lineup. Alphonso Davies moved to the left side of the defense in his place.
The decision regarding Tah came as quite a surprise. Since his move to Munich, the center back has become a key pillar of the defense. He wasn’t injured or suspended either. The 30-year-old was fully fit and part of the squad.
Kompany explains the surprising decision to leave Tah out
Kompany made it clear before the match that the decision was not based on a loss of playing status. Rather, the Bayern coach wants to consistently make the most of the quality and depth of his roster.
“We’re in a phase where we have a few guys who’ve already played more or less. We have three games this week; we’ve always rotated the lineup—that was our strength last season,” Kompany explained to Sky.
The Belgian is thus focusing on workload management right from the start of the season. This also makes sense in light of the upcoming schedule. The record champions’ next match is already on Wednesday in the DFB Cup against VfL Osnabrück.
The fact that Kompany can rotate the lineup without any issues is also due to the strong depth at center back. Kim, in particular, made a very good impression during preseason and has thus earned himself more playing time.
Kim and Upamecano Impress Against Stuttgart
Against VfB Stuttgart, the South Korean formed the central defensive pairing alongside Upamecano. The duo justified the coach’s trust with a solid overall performance.
Upamecano even made his mark on the offensive end. The Frenchman headed home the opening goal for Munich in the first half. After Stuttgart briefly equalized, the German record champions stepped up their game after the break and ultimately celebrated a convincing 5-1 victory.
Meanwhile, Tah had to wait until the closing stages. It wasn’t until shortly before the end that the national team player came on as a substitute for Kim.
Nevertheless, his spot on the bench for the Bundesliga opener shouldn’t be a cause for concern as the season progresses. Kompany already rotated his lineup regularly last season and clearly intends to continue this approach.
With Tah, Upamecano, and Kim, the Bayern coach has several top-tier options for the center of defense. As early as Wednesday against Osnabrück, the lineup could therefore be reshuffled—and Tah could return to the starting lineup.