Five observations of Bayern Munich’s impressive 4-1 win over Hoffenheim

Bayern Munich show the difference rest can make

The last time Bayern faced Hoffenheim, the team were beaten 4-1. This time it was still a hammering, but the other way around. The difference? Rest.

Bayern weren’t exactly ‘healthy’ coming into the game, with almost the entire starting midfielder for one reason or another. However, for the first time this season, the team is receiving a series of games with at least a week gap in between, and it has done wonders for the team’s fitness and the overall quality of play.

Compare that to First round match, which took place just 48 hours after Bayern played a grueling 120 minutes against Sevilla in the UEFA Super Cup. Thanks to Hoffenheim, they punished us that day. But if Bayern had the normal rest time before this game (the UEFA Super Cup is usually a preseason game, after all – it’s not supposed to be played after the league starts), then things would have turned out very differently.

What a shame – if it weren’t for this blemish, Bayern could have remained undefeated throughout calendar year 2020.

Thomas Muller is back in shape

With his goal on the night, Thomas Muller reached double digits in the league season for the first time since 2015-16, when Pep Guardiola was still at the helm. While most people think Muller deliberately reinvented himself as a supplier when his goals started to dry up, the truth is that Muller was forced to change his natural style by incompetent coaches who didn’t know how to use his talents.

Under Flick, Muller has found someone who will use his talents to the fullest, and he’s rediscovered the scoring form. The Spatial interpreter was never just a supplier, but a killer in front of the goal. He was showing signs of form in Jupp Heynckes’ mini-tenure and during the first season of Flick, and now he’s finally on the rise. His production this season has been nothing short of amazing – perhaps warranting further analysis (stay tuned).

Marc Roca is better depth than Tolisso

Starting in the Bundesliga for the first time, 24-year-old Marc Roca has shown that he can be a valuable depth piece for Bayern Munich this season. Playing the deepest role in midfield, he saw Joshua Kimmich take on the role of a box-to-box or # 8, which was a pretty good setup all things considered.

The Spaniard kept his distribution quick and orderly, and he was a solid presence in front of the rear four. If there are any criticisms to be made, it’s the fact that his pressing could have been a little more aggressive, and he should have positioned himself a little better sometimes.

Regardless of these little issues, if Flick is still trying to decide what his pecking order should be in midfield, it’s clear Roca should be ahead of Tolisso for now.

Bayern defense reveals worrying new weakness

Let’s keep this one short – Bayern Munich have never been weak on crosses, but suddenly it becomes a problem. Whenever Hoffenheim managed to beat either Benjamin Pavard or Alphonso Davies on the flank all they had to do was send him into the box and it resulted in a dangerous shot against Bayern’s goal.

Manuel Neuer once again had to perform insane heroics to keep the score low, but it wasn’t enough for a clean sheet. Take a look at the xG card – Bayern and Hoffenheim were even on chances, and the vast majority of the opponent’s xG came from the area between the center-backs.

It’s not a pretty xG card if you’re a Bayern fan, and looks like a new puzzle for Flick to solve. Jerome Boateng and David Alaba essentially let anyone drift between them unmarked – only Kramaric managed to convert. Next time, Bayern won’t be so lucky.

Serge Gnabry breaks his drought target, and things should get better from here

Gnabry has had a tough season so far. Deprived of his annual pilgrimage to London, the poor man had failed to score a Bundesliga goal since October. However, things are looking up for the winger, who finally broke his drought and had a great game at the top.

There are times when goals can be misleading – sometimes a lucky goal covers up a poor performance. It wasn’t one of those times. Gnabry was involved in the Bayern attack throughout the game, pressing hard, winning the ball and making himself a constant threat for Hoffenheim defenders. His passes were incisive, the runs were well timed. It was an overall performance, the goal being the icing on the cake – and luckily for Gnabs, it’s the third time in a row he’s managed a game like this.

Although Gnabry has missed goals and assists this season, he has never been more involved than in these few games. The goal was honestly late. As long as he maintains this, he doesn’t need to worry about his stats – goal contributions are inevitable as long as he’s doing everything else right.