The XXL international break is over, and FC Bayern’s focus is back on the Bundesliga. A total of 17 Munich pros were away with their national teams. For Vincent Kompany, the overall assessment is largely positive: Numerous key players showed themselves to be in strong form, and several young players gained valuable confidence.
Harry Kane and Michael Olise, in particular, picked up right where they left off with the German record champions. Jonas Urbig, Aleksandar Pavlovic, and Tom Bischof also made their mark with the DFB. There was one major setback, however: Jamal Musiala suffered an injury even before Germany’s first match.
The 23-year-old was supposed to be in the starting lineup for the 1-1 draw against the Netherlands, but suffered a torn muscle fiber in his thigh during warm-ups. As a result, Musiala missed the entire international break. In the meantime, the attacking player has at least resumed individual training on the field.
Olise Shines – Zidane Raves About the Bayern Star
The standout Munich player on the international tour was once again Michael Olise. The Frenchman racked up a total of six points in four Nations League matches. The 24-year-old scored four goals himself and set up two more.
His performance in the 4-1 win over Belgium was particularly impressive. Olise didn’t enter the game until the hour mark but subsequently played a key role in France’s comeback with two goals and an assist.
France’s new national team coach, Zinédine Zidane, was also full of praise for the Bayern star’s performances: “He’s a natural talent through and through and simply loves to play soccer. You can see that.”
Olise was thus involved in at least one goal in all four matches. He was able to replicate his impressive form from Munich while wearing the national team jersey.
The tournament was similarly successful for Kane. Although the Englishman missed a penalty in the 2-3 loss to Spain, the Bayern striker scored six goals and set up another in four matches overall.
In the final 3-0 win over the Czech Republic, Kane scored twice, bringing his international goal total to 91. At the same time, he made his 125th appearance for the Three Lions, tying Peter Shilton’s record for most international caps.
Bayern youngsters make the most of their DFB opportunity
Several German Bayern pros are also likely to return to Munich with a boost of confidence. From the FCB’s perspective, the second half of the extended training camp was particularly encouraging.
Jonas Urbig started in goal against Serbia and Greece and kept a clean sheet in both matches. Against Greece, the Bayern keeper made a strong save just moments into the game to prevent an early deficit.
Pavlovic and Bischof also impressed in midfield. In the 2-0 win over Serbia, the two Bayern youngsters formed a strong duo. Bischof scored his first goal for Germany in his second senior international match. In the subsequent 0-0 draw in Greece, both were once again in the starting lineup. Lennart Karl also started that match.
Serge Gnabry also experienced a special moment. Against Serbia, the 31-year-old led the national team onto the field as captain for the first time. After three appearances, he was allowed to return to Munich early.
Joshua Kimmich, Nathaniel Brown, and Jonathan Tah were only scheduled to play in the first two matches anyway, so they were also available to Kompany sooner as a result.
Kim experiences highs and lows
The international break didn’t go quite as smoothly for Minjae Kim. Although the center back gained valuable playing time with South Korea and set up a goal in the 3-0 win over Ecuador, he had a bitter evening in the 1-4 loss to Uruguay.
Shortly before halftime, Kim scored an own goal that made the score 0–3, and he was subsequently substituted at halftime. He was not included in the squad for the final match against Uzbekistan. The South Korean Football Association cited accumulated fatigue as the reason and emphasized that there was no serious injury.
Hiroki Ito also saw plenty of playing time for Japan, spending a total of nearly 300 minutes on the field across four matches. Ismael Saibari failed to contribute to any goals in his two starts for Morocco.
Bara Sapoko Ndiaye also gained international experience. After initially making brief appearances, the 18-year-old played the full 90 minutes in the final match against the Comoros and subsequently received positive reviews in the Senegalese media.
All in all, Bayern can be quite satisfied with the international break. Olise and Kane are returning in outstanding form, and several young players were able to make a name for themselves on the international stage. Musiala’s injury remains the major setback.
For Kompany, it’s back to business as usual. On Saturday, FC Augsburg awaits in an away match—and many of his national team players are returning to Säbener Straße brimming with confidence.