With the firing of Nico Kovac earlier this week, not many knew what to expect from Bayern Munich. A huge week for Bayern loomed, with a chance to advance to the knockout round in the Champions League and Der Klassiker on the horizon Saturday, so there was plenty to worry about.
The Bundesliga favorites had flashes of brilliance under Kovac, such as beating Tottenham Hotspur 7-2 in England, but they were also maddeningly inconsistent. A 5-1 loss to Frankfurt last Saturday signaled the end for Kovac. Fast forward to Wednesday, and Bayern awaited Olympiakos at home.
First Half
A few things were immediately noticeable under interim Hansi Flick. The absence of known Kovac favorite Philip Coutinho and the aggression of the team under Flick. Bayern under Kovac seemed intent on getting the ball inside to the Polish magician Robert Lewandowski. That resulted in a lightning-fast start from Lewandowski which has been entertaining to watch.
The problem seemed to be that midfielders and attackers alike seemed to shy away from opportunities outside the box. Within a few minutes, it was obvious that had been discussed. Bayern was aggressive and took several chances from outside the box. Bayern dominated possession in the first half and even with a few key missing pieces, the defense did their part. However, the scoreboard read goose eggs heading into halftime.
Second half
Bayern continued to press and time and time again, but the last pass just wasn’t there. Finally, in the 67th minute, Kingsley Coman delivered a beautiful pass to Lewandowski who flicked it in near post. A sigh of relief from supporters and team alike. Just two minutes later, Coman missed an easy chance to make it a two-goal lead.
In the 88th minute, the newly-subbed on Ivan Perisic finished a good pass by Corentin Tolisso to make it 2-0. Bayern had a multitude of chances to increase their lead. Even a quick glance at the match stats tell you everything you need to know. 27 shots with 11 on target to go with 14 corner kicks is quite a stat line for only a 2-0 win.
Final thoughts
The future is a bit hazy for Bayern Munich. The talent is there, but what will the new head coach do with the talent he is given? It’s rumored that Arsene Wenger is the favorite for the job, but there are a few other intriguing potential candidates including Hansi Flick himself and Jose Mourinho. If Wenger is the selection, will he change his tactics to adapt to the modern style of football? With quite a few questions and a huge game looming on Saturday, Bayern fans will just have to sit on their hands and wait for what’s next.
