FC Bayern struggled to a 2-1 victory at SV Elversberg. The match yielded three key takeaways.
It was a much tougher game than their Champions League match just a few days earlier: FC Bayern narrowly defeated the spirited newly promoted team SV Elversberg 2-1. Lennart Karl put Munich ahead, former Bayern player Maurice Krattenmacher equalized with a spectacular goal, before Harry Kane sealed the win for the favorites. The match yielded the following three takeaways:
1. Kompany needs to find the right balance
Vincent Kompany made seven changes from the 5-0 win against Bodo/Glimt. Given the tight schedule, rotation is unavoidable. However, the past few weeks have shown that Bayern still run into problems when their coach makes too many adjustments at once.
Even in the 0-0 draw at Schalke, a heavily reshuffled team rarely found its rhythm. A similar picture emerged in Elversberg. Although Bayern controlled the ball for long stretches, they lacked dynamism and increasingly let themselves be thrown off their game by the courageous newly promoted side.
“They seem a bit sluggish, a bit sleepy,” Michael Ballack analyzed on DAZN: “They control the game, but let themselves get lulled into a false sense of security. That’s why they’re paying the price.”
After Krattenmacher’s equalizer, Kompany reacted by bringing on four key players at once: Jamal Musiala, Joshua Kimmich, Alphonso Davies, and Luis Diaz. Bayern subsequently regained their dominance, increased the pressure, and sealed the victory through Kane.
Of course, given the heavy schedule, Kompany can’t field his supposedly best starting lineup all the time. But the performances at Schalke and in Elversberg show that the Bayern coach needs to find the right balance with his rotations. Too many substitutions at once can still come at the expense of team chemistry and the flow of the game.
2. Diaz Becomes Bayern’s First Problem Child
A trend is now emerging with Luis Diaz that goes beyond a single poor performance. The Colombian already squandered prime opportunities at Schalke, and against Bodo/Glimt, he once again lacked the finishing touch. In Elversberg, the most telling moment of his slump so far occurred.
Just two minutes after coming on as a substitute, Diaz found himself alone in front of Elversberg goalkeeper Nicolas Kristof following a pass from Olise. Instead of taking the shot or setting up Kane, who was also unmarked, the 29-year-old tried to beat the goalkeeper with a backheel—and failed.
The reactions were striking. Kane loudly made it clear to his teammate that he had been waiting for a cross. Josip Stanisic also reacted with visible annoyance.
Ballack described the attempt as “too flashy” and made it clear: “No matter what, you have to put the ball in the net. If it works, it’s fantastic. If not, it’s a careless miss.”
Max Eberl also admitted afterward that Diaz isn’t in top form right now, but at the same time stood by him: “Lucho doesn’t have the momentum right now. He’s probably thinking: Should I take it right away, or should I take it on again? By then, the ball’s already there. But as I said: We missed a few chances today. Eventually, he’ll get back on track.”
It would still be premature to speak of a full-blown crisis. But Diaz is becoming the first cause for concern in Bayern’s offense. The fact that his teammates are now visibly reacting to his decisions adds even more pressure.
3. Bayern must also be able to let go
Of all people, it was Maurice Krattenmacher who tied the game temporarily. The 21-year-old, who transferred from Bayern to Elversberg this summer for around two million euros, scored his third Bundesliga goal of the season with a spectacular long-range shot.
“That was a great goal by Kratti,” Aleksandar Pavlovic praised his former teammate. Eberl was also impressed: “He seems to be on a roll right now. He’s scoring one beautiful goal after another, as beautifully as it gets.”
Moments like these inevitably raise the question of whether Krattenmacher might have had a future at FC Bayern after all. However, the Munich club must be able to tolerate precisely these kinds of thoughts as part of their talent strategy.
Any club that develops many young players and wants to help them make the leap to professional soccer cannot offer everyone sufficient playing time at FC Bayern. Some will take the next step elsewhere—and some of them will eventually give the impression that they might have made it in Munich, too.
Krattenmacher himself recently cited precisely this reason for his move, explaining that it was crucial for him to play regularly and continue developing. After a disappointing loan stint at Hertha BSC, Elversberg seems to be exactly the right place for him right now.
Bayern therefore doesn’t need to mourn every young player they’ve let go who goes on to flourish elsewhere. On the contrary: the fact that former Munich youth players are making their mark in the Bundesliga is part and parcel of a successful youth development strategy. Sometimes, successful youth development simply means knowing when to let go.