Bayern Was Down 2-1 at Half. What That Comeback Actually Means For Their Supercup Showdown.

FC Bayern München just pulled off a wild 4-2 comeback win against 1. FC Heidenheim in their final friendly before the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup this Saturday, erasing a 2-1 halftime deficit with a second-half surge that left no doubt. For head coach Vincent Kompany, the score wasn’t the whole story. What truly mattered was getting Harry Kane, Dayot Upamecano, and Michael Olise back on the field for their first appearances since the World Cup.

First Half Shocks and Hard Lessons

That friendly in Heidenheim had a clear purpose: manage player workload, get the World Cup guys integrated, and have one last test before the Supercup against Borussia Dortmund. Kompany knew it was just a friendly, but he also stressed that 90 minutes against a Bundesliga 2 squad already two weeks into their season would help his players “get back into their rhythm.” Manuel Neuer, Joshua Kimmich, and Tom Bischof were already there, so they stayed in Munich for training. Upamecano, Kane, and Olise were the ones who really needed those minutes. Upamecano started, and he had a front-row seat to Bayern’s early struggles. The team looked vulnerable, especially to Heidenheim’s counter-attacking football. An early goal came after a midfield loss of possession, and the hosts’ second goal just before halftime was thanks to an insufficient clearance in the penalty area. Bayern couldn’t find gaps in Heidenheim’s tight defense, with young talent Felipe Chávez’s brilliant free kick being their only breakthrough. The halftime stats painted a grim picture for Bayern: Heidenheim led 4-1 in shots on goal and 12-5 in tackles, despite Bayern holding 76 percent possession. You don’t often see a Bayern squad looking like that.

Second Half Thunder and Supercup Promise

Then the second half hit, and things changed fast. Pouring rain, seven substitutions in the 60th minute, and Bayern finally unleashed their full potential. With better positioning and a much clearer grip on the game, Kompany’s squad cut off all of Heidenheim’s attempts. The stats flipped hard: Bayern had six shots on goal to Heidenheim’s zero and 26 touches in the opposition penalty area to a measly two. Heidenheim’s luck vanished quicker than you can say “goal.” The lively Tim Binder dribbled through the defense right after the restart, getting fouled in the box. Arijon Ibrahimović, who was actually on loan at Heidenheim last season, confidently buried the spot-kick to tie it at 2-2. Bayern pressed, pushing every outfield player into the opposition half at times. Kompany then brought on a load of attacking power from his bench: Kane, Olise, Luis Díaz, Jamal Musiala, Jonathan Tah, Josip Stanišić, and Aleksandar Pavlović. Sporting director Christoph Freund had promised at halftime they were “determined to turn the match around,” and those guys came on and delivered.

This weekend, Bayern faces Borussia Dortmund for the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup. After shaking off the rust and proving they can come back from the brink, you have to think this friendly, especially that second half, has whet everyone’s appetite for what’s to come. Dortmund better be ready.

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Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.