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Bayern Munich edged past Olympiacos in the Champions League at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday. The victory meant that the German outfit confirmed their qualification after just four games while the visitors were left with a point after the same number of matches.
The hosts started the better of the two sides and instantly put the Greek side to the sword. However, they had to wait until the 69th minute to get the breakthrough.
Robert Lewandowski proved to be the Bavarians’ Guardian Angel again as the Poland international prodded home Kingsley Coman’s cross from the right wing.
Thereafter, Olympiacos pushed for the equaliser but those efforts went in vain. In turn, the gaps at the back were exploited at the back as Ivan Perisic rounded off the win with a routine finish at the back post.
Here is a look at the talking points from the game.
#5 Bayern fail to score in a dominant first half
At the weekend, Bayern Munich were annihilated by Eintracht Frankfurt as the Bavarians lost 5-1. Consequently, Niko Kovac’s services were dispensed with as the Bundesliga champions represented a side in turmoil.
Thus, plenty expected them to start their Champions League fixture against Olympiacos shakily. However, contrary to those expectations, the Bavarians began the game strongly and immediately imposed their identity.
The hosts enjoyed the lion’s share of possession in the opening period and pinged passes all across the pitch. In the process, the Greek side were reduced to chasing shadows for large parts. Yet, despite the territorial advantage the home side had, they failed to make the net ripple.
Though Jose Sa pulled off a couple of smart saves, Bayern’s indecisiveness in the final third contributed majorly to a goalless first half.
On countless occasions, the hosts got into promising positions. However, they failed to churn out an end product as they either overcooked or under-hit their passes. Moreover, they were guilty of complicating things a tad, especially when it would’ve been easier to choose the simpler option.
Unsurprisingly, the aforementioned facets enabled Olympiacos to ride out the first half storm and ensure that they entered the tunnel with both sides on level terms.
Also check out: UCL schedule Champions League table Bundesliga schedule
#4 Joshua Kimmich runs the show in midfield
For his first game as caretaker manager, Hans-Dieter Flick opted for the midfield duo of Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka, thereby consigning Thiago Alcantara to a spot on the bench. Subsequently, the creative onus fell on Kimmich, considering Goretzka’s propensity to operate as a box-to-box midfielder rather than a deep-lying play-maker. And, it’s fair to say that the former Leipzig star gave a good account of himself.
When Kimmich was signed from Leipzig, he had primarily been deployed as a central midfielder. However, at Bayern, the German functioned as a full back with many earmarking him as Philipp Lahm’s long-term successor.
Recently though, the 24-year-old has switched back to his midfield role and has excelled; a fact emphasised by another splendid display in the centre of the park.
Kimmich orchestrated Bayern’s offensive play and looked extremely accomplished on the ball. He sprayed passes all across the pitch and switched play adroitly too. More vitally though, he found his attackers in space courtesy several perfectly-weighted clipped through balls.
On the defensive front, the German was on hand to deal with whatever Olympiacos threw at him as he mopped up the danger and efficiently recycled the ball.
A season or two ago, a general consensus existed wherein Kimmich was looked upon as a top-notch right-back. And, though he might still be one of the premier full-backs in the world, he is slowly but surely carving a niche for himself as a central midfielder too.
#3 Kingsley Coman runs riot on the flanks
Over the past couple of seasons, Bayern have enjoyed an embarrassment of riches in the wider areas. Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery, despite their age, were always preferred in crunch games, thereby contributing to a slight lack of game time for Kingsley Coman.
However, with both legends having departed the club, the French youngster has been cast as the Bavarians’ protagonist on the flanks and he has fared rather well.
Against Olympiacos, Coman was a bundle of energy and was Bayern’s most potent attacking weapon. He showcased immense confidence on the ball and was ready to run at the visiting defenders, meaning that the away side weren’t accorded a moment of peace.
In the first half, the Frenchman embarked on a stupendous run where he jinked past three defenders before unleashing a rasping drive on goal. However, his effort was thwarted by Sa. The Portuguese denied him after the break too as he pulled off another top save.
Yet, that didn’t hinder Coman’s pursuit as he kept pushing and probing. Eventually, he played a massive role in the opener as he purposefully strode towards the by-line before whipping in an inch-perfect cross for Lewandowski.
And, even though the winger was culpable of missing a gilt-edged opportunity after the hour-mark, he produced a pretty spotless performance, thereby enabling Bayern to scrape past Olympiacos.
#2 The Greek gladiators valiantly go down
Before the game at the Allianz Arena, Olympiacos boasted a solitary point in the Champions League; a result that was earned at home against a Tottenham side who were in crisis.
Thus, the Greek side would’ve been forgiven to look at the encounter against Bayern with trepidation, considering their last visit to the Allianz Arena had culminated in a 4-0 defeat.
However, the visitors portrayed an enormous amount of determination and grit to keep themselves in the game, even as the hosts bossed proceedings and racked up astounding passing numbers.
Olympiacos’ goalkeeper, Jose Sa, was the pick of the bunch as he came up trumps on numerous occasions. He wonderfully denied Coman twice while he also made smart saves from Goretzka and Thomas Muller.
Apart from the Portuguese, Ruben Semedo and Yassine Meriah were also brilliant for large swathes of the contest as they kept Bayern’s much-vaunted attack at bay.
Moreover, they looked composed whenever they got hold of the ball and were willing to play through the lines, rather than aimlessly hoofing the ball forward.
However, the exhaustion accumulated from chasing the ball eventually cost them as they switched off in the 69th minute, allowing Lewandowski to steal a march and poke the ball past Sa.
Yet, one couldn’t take anything away from the effort Olympiacos put in on Wednesday. And, with a bit of luck, they could’ve even nicked a point off their illustrious rivals.
#1 Have Bayern become too reliant on Robert Lewandowski?
A month ago, Bayern thrashed Tottenham Hotspur 7-2 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. In that game, Serge Gnabry scored four goals while Lewandowski popped up with a handy brace. However, apart from that performance, the Bavarians have found it hard to get going offensively, meaning that they’ve conjured several dour displays.
Even on Wednesday, the hosts controlled the game and enjoyed possession for a majority of it. Yet, their attacking play alarmingly lacked conviction and a cutting edge.
On far too many occasions, they looked devoid of ideas and bereft of imagination. Subsequently, they kept weaving predictable patterns without ever threatening to stitch together a substantial end product.
However, akin to many a time before, a certain Polish striker stood up when the chips were down, ultimately scoring the opener. Lewandowski’s strike was his 21st of the season, which is just a shade more than 50% of the goals Bayern have scored in the Bundesliga and the Champions League.
The second goal, meanwhile, came about after Olympiacos had thrown men forward in search of an equaliser.
Apart from the forward’s goal, there was very little the home side created from open play and when the opposition was willing to defend stoutly; a pattern that has recurred quite frequently over the past couple of seasons.
Unsurprisingly, the Bavarians have failed spectacularly when Lewandowski has come unstuck, a trend that has engulfed the club in the latter stages of the Champions League especially.
And, though it might be too premature to jump to conclusions, one can’t help but wonder if Bayern are actually becoming too dependent on their Polish striker.
After all, if they are to win the UCL again, they surely can’t rely on a single source for goals, can they?
