Bayern Munich absolutely smashed FK Bodø/Glimt 5-0 in their Champions League opener last night, but if you only saw that final score, you’d miss the whole dang story. It was an impressive victory, sure, an important first step in their journey, but let’s be real: that first half was rough, man.
The First Half Was a Head-Scratcher
Coach Vincent Kompany rolled out what everyone’s calling his ‘Champagne XI,’ with Jamal Musiala back in the starting lineup, which was awesome to see. But Bodø/Glimt? They didn’t just roll over. They pressed Bayern hard, played super disciplined, and made finding space feel impossible for the Bavarians. Seriously, in the 5th minute, Joshua Kimmich sent a sick ball toward the net, but neither Musiala nor Luis Díaz could connect. Bayern controlled the play, no doubt, but with eight of their guys constantly in the final third and up to all 11 Bodø/Glimt players defending, it was just tight, tight, tight. That first half ended 0-0, and you could feel the struggle. It looked like some rustiness, a real lack of chemistry, and honestly, maybe some guys just needed a serious breather.
Second Half Floodgates and One Star’s Exhaustion
Whatever Kompany said at halftime, it worked. Just two minutes into the second half, the tension finally broke! Harry Kane tried to force a shot, it got deflected, and *boom* it landed right at Musiala’s feet. He took it and had a terrific finish for the 1-0 lead. After that, the floodgates opened. Laimer sent a great diagonal ball to Kane in the 58th minute, who put it just wide. But Kane wasn’t done; Olise whipped in a beautiful free kick from the right, perfectly onto Kane’s head, and he buried it. While the goals were flowing, something else was clear: Luis Díaz is making some uncharacteristic mistakes. We’re talking trouble with his touches, controlling the ball, and even reading plays. It really looks like that heavy workload last season, combined with the World Cup, might have just gassed the dude. Kompany seriously needs to think about putting someone else on the left wing this weekend. Lennart Karl, Musiala, or even Alphonso Davies could step up. It’s not a knock, but you see that kind of struggle from a skilled player, and exhaustion is screaming at you. On the brighter side, Kimmich and Aleksandar Pavlović had very good games overall, even with Kimmich having one big gaffe early on that the team survived.
Look, a 5-0 win is absolutely an important first step in their Champions League journey. But man, that first-half offensive struggle, and seeing a star like Díaz looking completely spent? Those are some real red flags. Kompany’s got some tough decisions ahead if he wants this squad firing on all cylinders without burning guys out. We’ll be watching to see if they can iron out these wrinkles because the Champions League doesn’t wait for anyone.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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