· 2 min readIn this Bayern vs RB Leipzig match, I analyse the key tactical moments, individual performances and turning points of the game.
Some matches promise a lot but end up being one-sided affairs. Bayern and Leipzig had everything needed to put on a great show, but the gap between the two sides was so obvious that the game was practically over in the first half.
Leipzig have talent in abundance, with players like Nusa and Nkunku, but facing a Bayern side of this quality, at their own ground, is a different story. The Bavarians were coming off two draws, both after falling behind, but they came out determined not to allow any more surprises.
The first warning came just two minutes in, with Olise leading a counter-attack, although Saibari couldn’t make the most of the run. It was just a taste of what was to come. Bayern quickly took control of possession and opened the scoring in the 12th minute. Kimmich found Luis Díaz in behind the defence and the Colombian finished with impressive composure. Raum had played him onside, but what stood out most was how easily Bayern were finding space in a defence that, not long afterwards, already looked completely lost.
In the 19th minute, Upamecano forced a good save from Vandevoordt, and Kane also put Saibari in a position to shoot, only for the goalkeeper to come to the rescue again. Bayern were on top in every department. Kane dropped deep to help build attacks, dragged opponents out of position and opened up channels for his teammates, while Leipzig spent more time defending than thinking about attacking.
In the 26th minute, that superiority once again turned into a goal. Kane received the ball near the centre-backs and sent Luis Díaz through down the left. The Colombian cut inside and laid the ball off to Pavlovic, who struck it into the near post. Two-nil, with Díaz adding a goal and an assist, but Kane also deserved plenty of credit for the quality of his pass. Leipzig still couldn’t get any breathing room on the ball, and in the 29th minute, Olise forced another excellent save from Vandevoordt.
The third arrived in the 34th minute and was another demonstration of Bayern’s attacking intelligence. Leipzig pushed up to press, left space in behind, and Olise combined with Kane before drilling a low shot from outside the box into the far corner. A superb goal and another moment to appreciate Olise, a player who makes difficult things look deceptively simple.
At half-time, the numbers were staggering: 15 shots for Bayern, nine on target, compared with just three for Leipzig, none of them on target. The visitors hadn’t created a single big chance.
In the 48th minute, Luis Díaz received the ball on the left, cut inside and fired home the fourth. In the 52nd minute, it was Kane’s turn to score, tapping in after a pass from Brown, who had been set up by Luis Díaz. It was his 102nd goal in 100 Bundesliga appearances for Bayern. An absurd record, even for a striker of his calibre.
With the game turning into a stroll, Kompany began to manage his squad. Even so, Luis Díaz completed his hat-trick in the 69th minute after a short corner routine with Olise, driving inside before placing the ball against the far post. Leipzig didn’t manage to get their first shot on target until the 78th minute, a clear sign of the kind of night they were having.
Deep into stoppage time, Maksimović still managed to score a fine goal, with a shot from just outside the box that struck the crossbar before going in. Little more than a footnote on a night of absolute dominance.
Post-match
Bayern were ruthless, and Leipzig will have far more lessons to take from this than comfort in having avoided an even heavier defeat.
