FC Bayern remains undefeated, but has recently dropped important points on two occasions. A 2-2 draw at FC Augsburg was followed by a spectacular 3-3 tie against Viking Stavanger in the Champions League. Although the Munich team put on a convincing offensive display in both matches and created numerous scoring chances, coach Vincent Kompany was self-critical after yet another draw. The Belgian made it clear why, in his view, his team cannot lay claim to a victory.
For Kompany, Bayern’s statistical dominance is no reason to attribute the missed victory solely to a lack of luck. Rather, the 40-year-old sees a fundamental problem that had already become apparent against Augsburg.
After the Champions League match in Norway, the Bayern coach took a closer look at his team’s past two performances.
Kompany first made it clear that he was quite satisfied with his players’ overall style of play and commitment. “In those two games [gegen Augsburg und Viking], the energy was good, our play was fast, and we created so many chances,” the Belgian explained.
However, the Bayern coach sees a critical weakness that has recently proved to be his team’s undoing on multiple occasions. “The problem, though, is the chances we’ve conceded to the opponent—for me, that’s not enough to say we deserved the win.”
A remarkable assessment given the record champions’ clear statistical dominance.
While Bayern continue to pose a regular threat on offense, their opponents currently need relatively few chances to score goals.
Early goals conceded are becoming a problem for Bayern
It is particularly striking that Munich fell behind early in the match against both Augsburg and Stavanger.
In Augsburg, the record champions conceded their first goal after just eight seconds. In Norway, it also took only about a minute before Gianni Stensness headed the hosts into the lead off a corner kick.
The Norwegians then extended their lead to 2–0 before halftime.
Although Bayern showed great resilience after the break and briefly turned the game around to 3–2 with a brace from Harry Kane and a goal from Luis Díaz,
But after Michael Olise was sent off, the Munich team was unable to hold on to the lead. The equalizer came in stoppage time.
For Kompany, it is therefore clear that the team must not only showcase its offensive quality on the field but also play with greater focus on defense.
Kompany calls for a response against RB Leipzig
The Munich side doesn’t have much time to regroup. They’re set to host RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga as early as Saturday evening.
For Kompany, the course of action following the two disappointing results is clear. “We have to show a response on the field, and that’s the most important thing,” the Bayern coach emphasized.
In doing so, the Belgian makes it clear that he does not have fundamental doubts about his team’s ability.
Rather, the Munich team needs to convert its existing quality into results more consistently.
After all, the past two games have shown that even a multitude of scoring chances and clear dominance on the field do not guarantee a win if the opponent scores too easily.
Against RB Leipzig, FC Bayern now has its next opportunity to address its defensive lapses and secure a victory again after two draws.