RB Leipzig – Bayern Munich: Respite From The Red Bull Rampage (2-2)

RB Leipzig aspired to be the first side to beat Bayern Munich three times in a calendar year in almost two decades. At the halfway point of this duel, that ambition was on the way to becoming reality. That feat might not have come to pass at the final whistle, but this fixture was even more proof that the quality at the summit of the Bundesliga no longer favors the Bavarians so clearly.

Tactical analysis and match report by Emmanuel Adeyemi-Abere.

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The last clash between these clubs displayed how the giant of German football has lost its aura of indomitability. Seven weeks later, this fragility still allows their rivals to dream it may be their year.

Bayern Munich sat at the top of the table before the start of the matchday with four victories and a draw in their first five fixtures. Their European adventure also began with a win over Manchester United, but demand for best in class through a better blend of style and success persists. Thomas Tuchel has not let loose on the reins of control, but opponents are still able to shoot their shots.

It is also only against Bayer Leverkusen that RB Leipzig have dropped points. Four triumphs on the trot after opening day defeat in the league have put the hosts a point below the Bavarians. Though three clean sheets this month have accompanied this streak, the key figure in this outfit has been Xavi Simons— a creative mind in the final third to compensate for the exit of Christopher Nkunku.

Marco Rose took out two players from the starting eleven he picked for Leipzig’s last league outing against Borussia Mönchengladbach. Both of those were in the offense. Fábio Carvalho made way for Emil Forsberg as an attacking midfielder, and Yussuf Poulsen came in for Benjamin Šeško next to Loïs Openda in the front two. In the absence of Willi Orbán, Castello Lukeba stayed in the defense.

Thomas Tuchel oversaw a four goal blowout in the first round of the DFB Pokal in midweek. Serge Gnabry broke his arm, so Kingsley Coman operated as a left winger. Jamal Musiala and Leroy Sané were the other two men to support Harry Kane. A spine of Leon Goretzka, Joshua Kimmich, Kim Min-jae and Dayot Upamecano appeared, while Konrad Laimer was on the right of the back four.

False alarm

Within three minutes, Bayern nearly broke down Leipzig’s defense. Xaver Schlager fouled Coman, and Kimmich immediately found Kane, who had loitered between the lines away from Mohamed Simakan. The striker scanned his shoulder, then slipped a deep pass into the path of Musiala, but Janis Blaswich stuck out a leg to block the strike. The sequence demonstrated how Kane’s presence could release room for other forwards to attack. Yet, only twice did the guests shoot again before the break.

Tuchel set out a similar 3-2-5 structure to the one from the 3-1 loss to RB Leipzig at the end of last season. Laimer stayed back to create a chain of three with the central defenders while the double pivot stationed itself in front. Alphonso Davies advanced on the left flank, and Kingsley Coman pushed closer to Kane. Though this layout allowed the Bavarians to have many options in the middle of the field, the life was lacking to take apart the typically dense and compact Red Bull 4-2-2-2 formation.

The display in the Supercup showed the same impasse. Goretzka was rarely free to receive inside the block, while Kimmich and the central defenders were guilty of taking so many touches that the ball rarely arrived at speed on the wings. The home team could shift along with the circulation, pin down their opponents on the outside, and were at ease despite the portion of possession they had conceded.

9th minute: buildup sequence from Bayern Munich. Kimmich drops back to demand possession from Min-jae with a square body position, so he has to briefly stop the ball, turn out and then pass across to Upamecano. Note how Simons has pushed forward, so Kimmich and the central defenders cannot outnumber the front two. Goretzka also does not get free from Openda, forcing the play out to Laimer. The right back eventually smashes the ball forward under pressure from Forsberg with no outlet.

Double dagger consolidates control

The guests also employed familiar principles off the ball. Sané pushed forward on the right next to Kane so a two pronged first line of defense could engage Leipzig in the press. Likewise, their opponents did not create many chances in the first half, but extreme efficiency made the difference. After Forsberg failed to punish Ulreich’s miscued clearance, the away team were not so lucky.

Henrichs launched a throw-in to Poulsen, who functioned as a platform through which the rest of the offense flowed. The robust target man laid off the ball to Schlager, and his teammate sent the ball into space behind the defensive chain, where Openda dueled with Min-jae. The central defender jabbed at the forward but could not escort him further from the goal, and a deflection of his right boot spiraled a strike beyond Ulreich, putting the hosts into the lead in the 20th minute. The situation soon worsened.

4⃣ goals and 2⃣ assists in 6⃣ Bundesliga appearances 🤩

𝗔𝗡𝗗 the first ever RBL player to score in each of his first three home fixtures 💥

Not bad, Lois 😌 pic.twitter.com/HxEpEaFwE0

— RB Leipzig English (@RBLeipzig_EN) October 1, 2023

Openda bullied Min-jae again, treading along the offside line before barging the defender out of his way. Upamecano came to his aid in the penalty area at the cost of a corner the officials should not have granted. Ulreich misread the flight of David Raum’s delivery, and Openda pounced. His header dropped near Castello, who scored his first goal for his new club and doubled the advantage.

Tuchel refrained from any drastic changes, so the approach of Leipzig defined the dynamics of the rest of the first half. On the one hand, Rose’s men dropped off further to rest on their position, were not too eager to push out from a reserved stance, and did not aggressively commit to counterattacks. On the other hand, Bayern produced little to provoke unrest. How would they overcome this obstacle?

“We struggle in examining [what goes wrong] with the plan. Maybe it’s a shit plan!”

Only time for two questions with Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel today after their 2-2 draw at RB Leipzig but he delivered… @ESPNFC pic.twitter.com/RdBRI5sSYV

— Archie Rhind-Tutt (@archiert1) September 30, 2023

Plan B arrests the slide

Tuchel brought on two players at the start of the second half. Coman enjoyed little synergy with Davies, so Mathys Tel replaced him on the left. Goretzka’s afternoon was also over. Raphaël Guerreiro debuted for the club in the middle of the park. The Bavarians switched from a 4-2-3-1 system to a 4-1-4-1 formation where Kimmich could operate as their single sitting midfielder.

Guerreiro highlighted how the visitors improved in this phase. He was enthusiastic, pressing alongside Kane from the front with the aggression and bravery that was missing before the break. The new setup on the ball gave certain players new freedom. Kimmich could roam alone at the base of the midfield, Kane could drift more willingly at the tip of the offense, and Guerreiro repeatedly overloaded the right. Free men between the lines began to unsettle Leipzig’s midfield, and the goals soon followed.

62nd minute: offensive sequence for Bayern Munich. Musiala and Sané rotate, allowing the winger to infiltrate the right halfspace. He fires a pass to Kane and Guerreiro sprints over to support. A direct breakthrough does not occur, but the movement and numbers at least create space for Laimer wide.

Kimmich broke the lines to connect to Kane, forcing Simakan to engage. The defender fouled the striker, and Sané’s strike from the ensuing free kick hit a flailing elbow. Henrichs gave away a penalty: a golden opportunity to half the deficit. Kane obliged. Even though Blaswich guessed the right way, the power of the effort from twelve yards was too much for the goalkeeper to repel.

Rose brought off Kampl for Nicolas Seiwald after the hour mark to freshen up the midfield, but the tide had turned decisively. When Leipzig tried to restore their two goal cushion from a corner that they earned thanks to the persistent targeting of Upamecano, their plan backfired. The set-piece catalyzed a killer blow. Musiala collected a loose ball and galloped over the halfway line. Sané stormed up the field through an open rearguard and beat Blaswich between the posts to equalize.

The battle for a third goal to claim all three points began. Christoph Baumgartner and Šeško were the two players to come onto the field for Leipzig in the 72nd minute, yielding security off the ball for more speed. Ultimately, this topspiel would finish without a victor— to the chagrin of both outfits. 

Takeaways

At the cusp of a complete collapse, Tuchel tinkered to good effect again. Nevertheless, the same stubborn problems continue to cause hardships. Bayern Munich still cannot strike a balance of stable defense and a productive offense, the midfield is not always secure, and the squad is short of options. The reigning champions cannot complain about losing top spot to Bayer Leverkusen for now.

The loss of a two goal lead will upset Leipzig even if their opponents here were Bayern. Nonetheless, the first half reflected the work of Rose to forge a stable unit, tough to crack and able to exploit spaces on the break. More courage and conviction in the buildup has set Leverkusen above the rest at the top of the table, but this level of execution of the RB model will rattle the cages of most of the league.

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