- Kompany's daring tactical approach is encountering resistance from Freiburg.
Bold as brass, Vincent Kompany. Employing a daring attacking strategy and featuring German national team star Joshua Kimmich in an inventive hybrid role, the new Bayern manager secured a victory against SC Freiburg in his debut match at the Allianz Arena. The 2-0 (1-0) victory and Bayern's flawless six-point start in the Bundesliga were thoroughly merited. Harry Kane converted a penalty (38th minute), and Thomas Müller, Bayern's record goalscorer, sealed the win as a substitute (78th). In the added time, Lucas Höler missed a chance to score from the penalty spot for Freiburg.
The first goal of the season for Kane, who was awarded the 'Kicker' striker award for his 36 goals in the prior season, proved to be a significant moment in the game. The penalty once again sparked the never-ending discussion about handball in the penalty area and the application of VAR (Video Assistant Referee).
What transpired? Kane won an aerial duel with Max Rosenfelder, hitting the SC defender's arm. The defender's intention was unclear. His arm was extended, however. Video assistant Harm Osmers intervened after referee Christian Dingert's corner decision.
Referee Dingert, aged 44, reviewed the incident on the sidelines and signaled a penalty. The Freiburg players and coach Julian Schuster reacted with shock. Kane remained composed, stepped up, and successfully converted his sixth penalty in the Bundesliga. Bayern had a hard time against tenacious Freiburg before Müller scored. And how! Müller brought the ball down with his right foot, beat his opponent in the box, and finished with his left.
"Having attacking players on the field"
Entertaining, engaging, and high-energy football was showcased in the packed Munich Arena. Kompany aimed to put on a show for the Bayern fans in his initial home match as head coach. Consequently, he structured his team accordingly. "It's a home game - and we need to have our attacking players on the field," the 38-year-old Belgian stated before the match on the streaming service DAZN.
Kane, Musiala, Gnabry, Olise, Tel - that was the attacking force. At the back? Dayot Upamecano and Min-jae Kim, who once again secured Kompany's trust as central defenders, often operating alone. Kimmich did not take up his traditional right-back role; instead, he frequently played centrally ahead of the defense, advancing like Raphael Guerreiro. Tactical formations like those used under Thomas Tuchel are out with Kompany in Munich.
Record-breaker Müller in his 710th Bayern appearance
This presented a significant challenge for the opposing team. A week after the 3-1 victory against VfB Stuttgart, Freiburg struggled to establish their attacking game. Following a free-kick from Vincenzo Grifo, Lukas Kübler managed a shot - Manuel Neuer saved (57th), and a shot from Patrick Osterhage (60th) was also saved.
The crowd gave Thomas Müller a standing ovation when he came on as a substitute. With 710 appearances, the 34-year-old surpassed Sepp Maier to become the sole record-holder for FC Bayern. The 80-year-old legend was honored before the game, along with former teammates like Uli Hoeneß, Paul Breitner, or Hans-Georg Schwarzenbeck, 50 years after Munich's first European Cup triumph in 1974. Müller played for 19 minutes, scoring a goal. And toward the end, Leon Goretzka also got a brief stint as a central defender.
Vincent Kompany, in his home debut as Bayern's manager, employed an attacking strategy that saw Joshua Kimmich play in an inventive hybrid role. Kane, who won a penalty in the game, also made his home debut for Bayern, scoring the first goal of the season and winning the 'Kicker' striker award.
