Bayern Munich – Inter Milan: Inzaghi Masterminds Smash & Grab Against Bayern & Kompany (1-2)

Inter boss Simone Inzaghi masterminded a proper smash & grab against Bayern at the Allianz Arena in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final. A first half goal from Lautaro Martinez gave Inter the lead. But Bayern came back to equalise with a slightly late goal by substitute Thomas Muller. However, Inter substitute Davide Frattesi’s late goal on an Inter breakaway decided the game as Inter won 2-1 on the night.

Tactical analysis and match report by Gaurav Krishnan.

As things transpired on a midsummer night in Munich, Bayern were made to rue their missed chances & efforts to grind out a win as Inter found a way to turn the tides, as so many Italian sides of old have managed across the footballing decades. Deep in towards the end of the ninety, Inter substitute Davide Frattesi could be seen tearing his shirt off as he diverted the ball into the Bayern net rushing to the corner flag with the adrenaline pumping through his veins.

With this season’s UEFA Champions League final set to be played at the Allianz Arena on 31st May, Bayern are on the edge after this narrow defeat & will have to instigate & muster up all they have in their locker to keep their dream of playing the final on home turf this season.

Bayern were clearly depleted by injuries to their first team starters. Manuel Neuer, Jamal Musiala, Alphonso Davies and Dayot Upemecano all missed the game serving time off the pitch with their repective injuries. But Bayern were rescued by an unlikely source, or so it seemed.

Just days after the announcement that Thomas Muller’s 25-year stint & love affair with Bayern would end after this season, Muller could be found prowling the spaces inside the opposition box. He duly converted, almost inevitably deep into the second half. When asked to describe himself Muller famously said “Ich bin ein Raumdeuter,” – “I am an interpreter of space”. And yet, so uncannily that was exactly what transpired on the night. Muller sneaked into the far post area, finding space, finding time, to side foot home, which looked like he rescued a point for his beloved Bayern.

But things wouldn’t play out that way. Inter’s Inzaghi menaced on the touchline deep in thought all game & after some deliberation brought another attacker in Davide Frattesi on in the 74th minute. Inter broke devastatingly out from the back just after Bayern took the lead. Carlos Augusto made a marauding run late in the game & his violently hit cross was crashed into the Bayern goal by Frattesi.

Frattesi ripped off his shirt as violently as the venomous cross he turned in, as he decided the game sending the away end at the Allianz into delirium as the Inter squad all rushed to the corner flag to celebrate with the Inter substitute. 2-1 Inter, the slenderest of leads to take away to the Giuseppe Meazza.

Perhaps the night could’ve turned out differently for Bayern. Harry Kane spurned a golden opportunity to give Bayern the lead in the 25th minute after smart work by Olise who was a threat all night. Kane’s finesse effort collided against the post & went wide and just like that Inter hit Bayern on the break 13 minutes later as Lautaro Martinez’s trivela finish gave Inter the lead after a clever backheel pass by Marcus Thuram.

Inzaghi’s preferrance to field two strikers paid dividends again as both the Inter front two combined to near perfection. Perhaps Kane’s mortified expression after his miss summed up Bayern’s night — a loss that will sting Kompany & his Bayern side.

The tie is far from decided but Bayern will have to dig deep to overturn the deficit away at the Giuseppe Meazza where Inter are formidable.

Vincent Kompany fielded Bayern in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Jonas Urbig started in goal with back four of Konrad Laimer, Min-jae Kim, Eric Dier and Josip Stanisic. Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich anchored the midfield in the double pivot with Michael Olise, Raphael Guerrero and Leroy Sane just ahead. Meanwhile, Harry Kane led the line up front.

Simone Inzaghi lined up his Inter side in a 3-5-2 shape. Yann Sommer was named in goal with a back three of Alessandro Bastoni, Francesco Acerbi and Benjamin Pavard. Inter’s wingbacks on the night were Matteo Darmian at right wing-back and Carlos Augusto at left wing-back with a midfield three of Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Hakan Calhanoglu and Nicolo Barella. While Inter’s familiar front two of Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram led the line as the two strikers.

Inter Play Out From The Back Against Bayern’s Press

Inter’s build-up began with a 3-2-5 shape in possession which would become a 2-3-3-2 or 2-4-2-2 when they built from the back. The back three spread wide, with Bastoni and Pavard stepping into wider positions to stretch Bayern’s press. Calhanoglu or Barella dropped deep as the pivot, forming a double base in midfield or at times the back line to circulate possession and resist Bayern’s high press, this was rotated with Mkhitaryan as well.

With Inzaghi, it’s all about off the ball movement & Inter used fluid rotations in this phase via their off the ball runs as Darmian and Augusto pushed high and wide, stretching the pitch pinning Bayern’s full-backs and creating space for diagonal switches. Martinez and Thuram stayed central, with Martinez often dropping to link play while Thuram occupied Bayern’s center-backs to exploit spaces in behind.

Minute 3’ Inter’s fluid rotations vs Bayern’s press. Pavard moves wide as Darmian drops. Meanwhile, Barella drops into the back three & plays the ball to Bastoni. Bastoni goes back to Sommer as Acerbi takes up a position between the first and second line of Bayern’s press. Sommer finds Acerbi who then makes a long run carrying the ball out upto the midfield line. Meanwhile, Calhanoglu & Barella take up the space just behind the halfway line to receive the ball from Acerbi who passes back under pressure from Sane. Calhanoglu plays it forward as the move continues.

Bayern meanwhile built up in a 2-4-4. Both center backs formed a pair in defense as the full backs created a midfield four alongside the midfielders Kimmich & Goretzka. The Bayern midfielders would occasionally drop into defense making it a 3-3-4. Kimmich & Gortezka were cruicial in linking play & tried to find the Bayern front four with either diagonals to the widemen or into Kane whould would also drop at times.

Bayern employed an aggressive high press as Kompany’s philosophy usually entails, although this was selective at times. Bayern have averaged 122 high-intensity pressures in the final third per game in the Champions League this season, clearly highlighting this. Kane led the press by closing down Inter’s center-backs, particularly targeting Acerbi, while Guerreiro marked Hakan Calhanoglu or Barella to disrupt Inter’s midfield progression. 

Olise and Sane pressed the wing-backs Darmian and Augusto, aiming to force turnovers in wide areas. The double pivot of Kimmich and Goretzka maintained a compact midfield block, as they aimed to close down the Inter midfielders ready to pounce on loose balls or intercept passes into Inter’s forwards.

Minute 15’ Bayern’s press is successful vs Inter’s build up. Barella drops into the right back slot to pick up the ball as Sane, Olise & Guerreiro press him. Barella tries a one-two with Calhanoglu who is under pressure from Kimmich. Barella receives the ball again & attempts a forward pass but Stanisic who is also pressing from left-back intercepts. Bayern move the ball forward in transition as Olise takes a shot on goal but it doesn’t trouble Sommer.

Despite Bayern’s high press, Inter found it comfortable to play out from the back because of their quick & difficult to mark rotations along with their quick one and two touch passing.

Inter Take The Lead As Kane Rues Missed Chance

Bayern’s build-up play was using a dynamic & flexible 2-4-4 shape that became a 3-3-4 in possession, a hallmark of Kompany’s philosophy this season. During the initial phase, Kim and Dier separated wide, with Urbig acting as an additional passing option to evade Inter’s press. Kimmich or Goretzka often dropped deep between or alongside the center-backs to form a temporary back three, allowing Laimer and Stanisic to push higher as overlapping full-backs. Kimmich was the link to the attacking front four while up top, Kane dropped into midfield pockets to facilitate play, while Olise and Sane stretched the width, exploiting the flanks against Inter’s narrow 3-5-2.

In the early exchanges, Bayern were more menacing offering a much bigger goal threat as compared to Inter. Bayern’s best chance came in the 25th minute as Olise, who was threatening all night, weaved his way into the box past the Inter backline to find Kane. Kane was in space & had a perfect angle at goal. However, the England striker’s effort wasn’t accurate enough and hit the post & went wide. That was easily Bayern’s biggest chance on the night & a perfect opportunity for them to take the lead in the game, but the chance went begging.

Inter would make the breakthrough shortly after. Inzaghi’s tactics utilise such unpredictable rotations that it’s very difficult for any opposition to catch or man mark. At times Bastoni or Pavard would be the furthest players forward as the Inter midfielders Barella or Calhanoglu would drop into the back line when the Inter defenders moved up the pitch.

Inter’s goal came as a result of effective wing play and Lautaro Martinez dropping deep. After a long ball was contested by Marcus Thuram, Martinez picked up the ball in the center circle & sprayed a pass out wide to Bastoni as Carlos Augusto moved higher up the pitch out wide on the left-flank. Augusto’s perfect ball into the box found Marcus Thuram who cheekily backheeled the ball to Lautaro Martinez. Martiez finished first time with a trivela strike that hit the back of the Bayern net making it 1-0 to Inter on the night.

When out of possession, Bayern shifted into a 4-2-3-1 and at times a 4-2-4 mid-block in their OOP shape. Kane formed the first line, pressing Inter’s center-backs and Calhanoglu, while Olise and Sane tucked in alongside Goretzka and Kimmich to form a narrow midfield four. This structure aimed to clog the central channels where Inter’s midfield trio of Mkhitaryan, Calhanoglu, Barella operated. Oftentimes, Goretzka and Kimmich would try to man mark Inter’s midfielders to prevent progression but because of Inzaghi’s rotations this became difficult.

The back four remained compact, with Laimer and Stanisic stepping up to mark Inter’s wing-backs when they advanced, though this occasionally left gaps behind.

Late Drama At Both Ends

After taking the lead, Inzaghi deployed his Inter side far more defensively. Inter sat in a 5-3-2 mid-to-low block which also became a 5-4-1 at times in their out-of-possession (OOP) shape. The Inter wing-backs tucked inside forming a back five as Inter’s three midfielders shielded the back line while Martinez and Thuram pressed as the front two with Martinez dropping into midfield making it a 5-4-1 at times. Inter’s 5-3-2 low block defending has seen them concede just three goals in 11 Champions League matches this season, averaging conceding just 0.28 goals a game; a testament to Inzaghi’s discipline.

Minute 63’ Inter’s compact 5-3-2 low block. Inzaghi deployed his Inter side in a pragmatic 5-3-2 low block in the second half. Darmian & Augusto tucked back to form a back five with the three Inter CBs. The Inter midfield three shielded the back five while the front two also compressed the space. The result was a compact 5-3-2 low block that Bayern found difficult to penetrate. Kimmich picks up the ball in midfield after receiving it from Goretzka. He finds Laimer who plays it forward but Inter defend successfully & the move breaks down.

Bayern played into Inzaghi’s gameplan as they dominated the ball in search of a goal while Inter were comfortable to hit Bayern on the break after staying compact in their 5-3-2 shape. The game fell into a flux in the middle stages of the second half with Bayern unable to carve out chances as Inter remained resilient in ther defensive shape and set up.

Things contrived to get interesting only post eighty minutes. Kompany rang in the changes bringing on Serge Gnabry, Thomas Muller and Sacha Boey at around the 75th minute mark. Muller’s impact was almost instantaneous, his shot inside the box was blocked emphatically by Bastoni in the 81st minute after good work by Gnabry down the left flank.

Bayern would equalise shortly after in the 84th minute. Kimmich put in a menacing cross into the far post area as Laimer picked it up. The Bayern defender hooked a ball across the goalmouth only to fiend the Raumdeuter Muller in space, Muller obliged & tapped it in making it 1-1.

However, Champions League games are decided by fine margins and Bayern were guilty of switching off for just a brief period of play. After Nicollo Barella’s excellent work between the lines, he played a bass that found Carlos Augusto’s lung bursting run forward as the Bayern defense were all over the place. Augusto rifled a fierce cross into the box which Inter substitue Frattesi finished resulting in the completion of Inter’s smash & grab at the Allianz Arena. Bayern were deflated after Frattesi’s goal and the game ended 2-1 to Inter.

Takeaways

For Bayern, the 2-1 result leaves the German outfit with an uphill task in the second leg at the Giuseppe Meazza. Kompany has to address defensive lapses and sharpen his side’s finishing, especially if they are to overturn the one-goal deficit. Bayern will hope to strike early in the next leg but with how defensively compact Inter are, it could be rather difficult.

For Inter, Inzaghi will aim to replicate this disciplined, counter-attacking blueprint which has served him so well across his reign at the club. Martinez and Thuram’s interplay & combination up front, along with the late substitute impact of Frattesi, showcased Inter’s clinical edge and tactical adaptability.

This intense tactical battle at the Allianz Arena was a testament to both Inzaghi and Kompany’s contrasting philosophies, with Inter’s resilience & perfectly executed gameplan edging Bayern’s dominance on the ball in what was a thrilling Champions League encounter. It’s all to play for in the second leg & the tie is far from over despite Inter’s slender lead.

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