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Bayern Munich managed to keep their unbeaten run in the UEFA Champions League intact despite fielding a team full of young players against Atletico Madrid.
The hosts were perhaps the favourites at the Wanda Metropolitano when the teams were announced. They dominated a majority of the game before the Bavarians managed to draw level late in the second half.
Manager Hansi Flick made nine changes to the team that beat VfB Stuttgart in the Bundesliga on Saturday. Unsurprisingly, they struggled for tempo as Atletico strung together some good moves in the attacking half. Diego Simeone’s side took the lead through a well-taken Joao Felix goal and did well to stifle a largely lifeless Bayern Munich attack in the first half to take a one-goal lead into half-time.
Bayern Munich were a lot more proactive in the second half and managed to stay in the game, bringing on the quality off the bench late in the game to equalise. A smart move by the holders resulted in Thomas Muller getting fouled in the box, and the German dispatched his penalty with authority to earn a point from the game.
Here are the main talking points from the game:
#5 Joao Felix ran the show for Atletico Madrid
A changed Bayern Munich backline simply couldn’t deal with Joao Felix’s agility and trickery on the ball. The Portuguese was pretty much untouchable with the ball at his feet and linked up play really well with his one-touch passing, almost being the perfect player for the slow-motion camera work.
The 21-year-old scored Atletico’s only goal. The strike showed his maturity in the box as he sneaked in to catch Nicklas Sule on his heels. He could have finished the game with more than just the one goal and even an assist as his pass for Angel Correa in the opening exchanges was inch-perfect. However, the Argentine fluffed his lines.
Felix was dispossessed thrice in the game, the same number of times as Correa and Marcos Llorente. Nevertheless, it was a man-of-the-match display as he was the most influential player on the pitch before he was subbed off in the 87th minute.
#4 Jamal Musiala is a Bayern Munich star in the making
It’s not often that we say a 17-year-old was the brightest spark in a sorry-looking Bayern Munich attack until a certain Jamal Musiala came on late in the second half.
Musiala, who has been heralded as the next big star in Bayern Munich, showed he was up for the big game and took the challenge of facing a physical side like Atletico Madrid head-on.
Bayern Munich struggled to string passes in the final third, but every time Musiala had the ball, they looked like they could conjure something. The German starlet wasn’t afraid to use his skills and turned on the style in the first half with a La Croqueta that nearly created an opening for the Bavarians.
Only Douglas Costa (four) completed more dribbles than him (three) in the game, and he showed some substance, along with flair, to finish the game with three tackles.
Musiala was a bit worse for wear in the second half, but he can be forgiven for that as he hasn’t played too many games of this intensity in his relatively young career.
#3 Atletico Madrid’s second-half malaise
This season, Atletico Madrid have been touted to achieve big things and even end their wait for some silverware. Simeone’s side are second in La Liga but can go five points clear of Real Sociedad and a whopping nine clear of Real Madrid if they win their games in hand. However, can they really achieve their full potential after showing a bit of weakness in the second half against Bayern Munich?
This is a team full of talented players, but they lack big personalities like Diego Godin and Gabi as the core to help them see through games, something you would generally associate with teams managed by Simeone.
Yes, they still have serial winners like Diego Costa and Luis Suarez, but this team needs to win the narrow games and beat the best sides, like Bayern Munich, if they are to reach the next level.
#4 Bayern Munich’s quality off the bench
It’s amazing how much depth Bayern Munich have, despite not signing Philippe Coutinho and Ivan Perisic on permanent deals and letting go of a player like Thiago Alcantara.
Hansi Flick decided to rest some of the big names with a tough clash against RB Leipzig coming up. While some of the young players found it hard at times, they dug in and managed to stay in the game.
Flick gave Muller and Serge Gnabry some playing time towards the end, and the duo was instrumental in the comeback. Driving at the Atletico Madrid defence from his half, Gnabry’s pass found Muller in the box, and his smart touch duped Felipe into making a needless challenge that earned Bayern Munich a penalty.
Bayern Munich used to (and still do) use this tactic in the Bundesliga. They can throw in a few subs to turn the game around and dominate the league. They are now doing the same in the Champions League. Pretty scary, that.
#5 The unbeaten run goes on
Bayern Munich’s record-breaking run of 15 consecutive wins after the 2019 tie against Liverpool came to an end with the draw against Atletico Madrid. However, they are still unbeaten since that defeat against Liverpool, and that’s quite an achievement.
The club’s mentality has changed so much under Flick, as they rarely give up and always have a plan of getting back into the game. Against Atletico Madrid, it was all about digging deep and staying in the game, and they did that until the 86th minute.
The Bayern Munich youngsters should be lauded for going toe-to-toe with Atletico Madrid’s vastly more experienced squad. To some fans, the draw will feel like a win if you consider the players that were on the pitch. Only time will tell if they can put together a new run of wins! Still, 16 unbeaten is quite a record.
