Manchester City 3-0 Bayern Munich: Initial reactions and observations

Initial reactions and observations

As expected, Bayern Munich got absolutely cooked by Manchester City. This is the worst defeat this team has experienced since that Liverpool game at the Allianz Arena all those years ago under Niko Kovac. The Champions League campaign is over, the second leg is reduced to a formality.
Jamal Musiala never should have played attacking midfield in this game. He never should’ve been moved to AM this season, to be honest. His overall game as a lethal winger from previous years has completely disappeared as he constantly looks to overcomplicate or over-dribble. Making him the focal point this early was a mistake.
Bayern Munich’s blunders on the CL big stage are becoming a regular occurrence. Is this a Barcelona-esque downfall? Post treble, this team has looked less competitive every year.
Joshua Kimmich is not captain material. This game needed him to stamp his authority on it from midfield and he just couldn’t do it. Give the armband to De Ligt when Muller retires.
Thomas Tuchel found out why Rule #1 exists. Muller always plays. He might not have stopped a rout today, but it could’ve been a bette result. 1-0 means you’re still in the tie. 3-0 is game over.

Interested in an in-depth, two person review of the game? Well then check out our postgame podcast! Chuck and INNN harshly critique everything that went wrong in Bayern Munich’s 3-0 loss to Manchester City, from individual player performances to tactics, transfers, and the board themselves. Listen to it below or on Spotify.

Full time: Man City 3-0 Bayern Munich.

76’ — Goal. Haaland makes it 3-0. This tie is completely over.

70’ — Goal. Bernardo Silva makes it 2-0, horrible mistake by Upamecano to lose the ball to Jack Grealish.

67’ — Sub: Julian Alvarez on for Kevin De Bruyne.

45’ — The second half is underway!

Halftime observations and analysis

Can’t cross, can’t shoot, can’t dribble. That sums up Bayern Munich’s attack today. Absolutely nothing has clicked up front so far. The best chance, a Musiala shot early in the game, feels like it happened ages ago. If anything happens, it’ll need to be a moment of magic like the De Ligt goal on Saturday.
Once again, Bayern have conceded first in a Champions League quarter final. This is the kind of self-inflicted wound that has kept this team out of a semi final for three years.
The press has been disappointingly passive. Manchester City can afford to take their time on the ball, and when they do pass, their moves are so much more crisp than Bayern’s. This game feels very unequal at the moment.

Halftime: Bayern Munich losing 1-0.

42’ — De Ligt is off the pitch after rolling his ankle. If he’s out, this is game over for Bayern.

27’ — Goal. Rodri bends it in from well outside the box.

Kickoff: We’re underway at the Etihad! Can Bayern beat Man City?

One hour until kickoff: Lineups are out! In a surprise turn of events, Thomas Muller has been benched with Tuchel opting for a front four of Serge Gnabry, Jamal Musiala, Leroy Sane, and Kingsley Coman. No Joao Cancelo either, Benjamin Pavard starts in his place. Joshua Kimmich captains the team from midfield.

It feels like barely any time has passed since Thomas Tuchel got hired by Bayern Munich, and here he is coaching in a Champions League quarter final. The circumstances are rather unique since coaches never get fired this late in the season if they’re still in the CL, but Bayern is a rather unique club.

This time it’s not Villarreal, but Manchester City who stand between the Bavarians and a long-desired UCL semi final. It’ll be the first time Pep Guardiola has faced his former team in his time as coach of Man City, which is crazy when you think about how many games these two teams tend to play in Europe every year. He’ll be facing the coach who denied him the ultimate prize in the 2021 final, who he knows well from his time at BVB and Chelsea.

Bayern Munich will not have a striker in this game. There are questions about Joao Cancelo and whether he should start. Joshua Kimmich is a yellow card away from missing the second leg with a suspension. Leroy Sane, Sadio Mane, and Serge Gnabry are woefully out of form. It’s all very challenging from a coach’s perspective. Yet, these are the games you have to win to be counted among Europe’s best.

It’s Bayern time.

While you’re waiting for the game, why not check out our newest podcast episode? We have a very in-depth (and potentially depressing) discussion about how Bayern Munich stacks up against Man City. Listen to it below or on Spotify.

Match Info

Location: Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England

Time: 9:00 pm local time, 3:00 pm EST

TV/streaming: Paramount+, Find Your Country

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