Jamal Musiala is back. The 23-year-old made his comeback in Bayern Munich’s 0–0 draw at Schalke following his extended forced absence. From a purely statistical standpoint, however, his first appearance was unspectacular. A closer look, though, reveals why these numbers are only partially indicative of his performance.
In the draw at Schalke, Musiala came on as a substitute in the 57th minute alongside Michael Olise. This marked the attacking player’s first appearance in a competitive match in quite some time. In the end, he logged about 33 minutes of playing time but failed to record either a goal or an assist.
24 touches, one shot on goal, one key pass, and eight lost tackles out of eight: That’s how Musiala’s stats look for his comeback.
At first glance, these are disappointing numbers. The high number of lost duels, in particular, seems to speak for itself. But this is exactly where it’s worth taking a closer look.
Musiala entered the game with the score tied at 0–0. The Schalke players were defending compactly around their own penalty area and throwing themselves into every challenge. After coming on as a substitute, Musiala appeared confident and determined. The 23-year-old repeatedly tried to break through Schalke’s defensive line with dribbles. In the end, though, he was always stopped by a Schalke player.
Even though not everything went perfectly in Musiala’s comeback, he tried a lot and had some good moments. After the game, Max Eberl highlighted a “brilliant pass” to Michael Olise. Overall, Eberl rated Musiala’s performance as “very, very positive.”
Musiala still needs time
Captain Manuel Neuer also thought it was “really great” to see his teammate back on the field. “He’ll be brought back in right away as soon as he’s in the roster. And we’re looking forward to having Jamal back to decide games for us,” Neuer explained.
Vincent Kompany had already emphasized before the match that Musiala had trained well over the past two weeks and had received the green light from the experts to play. His substitution at Schalke was therefore, first and foremost, an important step on the road back to full fitness.
It’s therefore hardly surprising that Musiala didn’t immediately produce any spectacular moments afterward. In addition, the 23-year-old faced a Schalke team that dropped even deeper after the break and defended with great determination. Bayern increased the pressure but couldn’t reward themselves with a goal.
His comeback should therefore be evaluated less in terms of numbers and statistics. What’s far more important for FC Bayern is that Musiala was able to get competitive playing time again after his break. The first step has been taken—now the offensive star needs to gradually regain his former form.