Bayern's strength in depth | OneFootball

Bayern Munich’s squad depth has proved a key ingredient to their success in 2024/25

As we approach the business end of the season in the Bundesliga, Bayern Munich sit six points clear at the top of the table thanks, in part, to their impressive squad depth, which has meant that injuries to key players have not had such a devastating impact.

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Vincent Kompany’s side have the league’s best defence and attack and currently sit six points clear of second place Bayer Leverkusen, having lost just twice in the league all season. Impressive, right? Well, yes, but even more so when you consider that the Bavarian giants have suffered key injuries throughout the spine of their team, almost without missing a beat in the Bundesliga.

The ease with which they have dealt with such injuries speaks to their incredible squad depth, allowing them to place square pegs in square holes whenever one of them gets injured, and keeping that winning machine rolling. A quite obvious example presents itself at the moment, with club captain and 11-time Bundesliga champion Manuel Neuer currently sidelined with a calf injury. In his place, 21-year-old Jonas Urbig has stepped up, and produced mature performances under the bright Champions League lights, where he played in both legs of Bayern’s round of 16 triumph over defending Bundesliga champions Leverkusen.

Urbig’s transition from Bundesliga 2 football with Cologne to competing for the Bundesliga title has almost been seamless, bar the 3-2 loss to Bochum and an uncharacteristic error in their 1-1 draw against Union Berlin. The youngster, who only joined the club in January, was given the additional task of managing a re-shuffled backline against Bochum, however.

In front of him for their 2-0 win at the BayArena in the second leg of their Champions League last 16 was Kompany’s preferred centre-back partnership of Minjae Kim and Dayot Upamecano. Kim suffered an Achilles injury not long afterwards, though, which ruled him out of that draw with Union; Bayern were prepared however, as they had Eric Dier waiting in the wings, ready to step into the backline as he’s done with ease on many occasions and will likely be needed again, with Upamecano now also out for some weeks.

The Englishman had a tough ride against Bochum and Union, but has for the most part provided excellent cover when needed. Previous games aside, the former Tottenham Hotspur man represents an experienced option to bring off the bench, and someone who understands their role within the squad.

Dier has started just eight times this season, making a total of 13 appearances out of a possible 26 in the league. Nevertheless, the former England international has impressed at the heart of Bayern’s defence, even with his limited minutes. Dier’s mentality and ability to deputise when needed drew special praise from Joshua Kimmich.

“If you call him tonight and tell him to come to training at 6am, he'll be there and give 100 percent. He's one of the best teammates I've ever had,” he enthused.

“That's his mindset and that's what moves us forward as a group. Even if he hasn't played that many minutes. That's extremely valuable to us.”

Kimmich’s midfield partner at the start of the season, Aleksandar Pavlović, has been a revelation since breaking into the first team last season, even earning a call-up to the Germany team for UEFA Euro 2024. That opportunity fell through due to injuries and illness which have continued to hinder him. One of his possible replacements, João Palhinha, has had injury and form problems of his own, providing the opportunity for Leon Goretzka to regain the trust of his employers.

Within touching distance of 300 Bundesliga appearance and with 59 Germany caps to his name, Goreztka has roared back into the side having initially been on the fringes and thrust the challenge of displacing him upon his teammates. He has even regained a starting spot for the national team under Julian Nagelsmann, who was full of praise for him after his goal and Man of the Match performance in the first leg of Germany’s UEFA Nations League quarter-final against Italy: “I thought he had a great game, especially in the second half, both defensively and with his presence in the box. He influenced the game both in attack and defence. It was a top performance”.

He drew further praise from club coach Kompany after his return to the Germany fold: “Leon always worked hard, he was always hungry in training. He responded in the right way, with his feet and not with words”.

Star men Harry Kane and Alphonso Davies have also had their seasons disrupted by injury, but have been afforded some comfort in the fact that their replacements were Thomas Müller and Raphaël Guerreiro respectively. An injured Kane missed a win against Heidenheim and a loss to Mainz, which was their first defeat of the season, as well as the DFB Cup round of 16 loss to Leverkusen and a comfortable 5-1 win over Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League.

Despite his absence, Bayern had their record appearance holder to deputise as striker, a luxury few could afford. Luckily for them, Müller is still hungry for even more titles with his boyhood club and is now up to 10 goal-involvements in all competitions, providing a level of continuity for Kompany's side with his ability to drop deep and create chances.

Guerreiro made his mark in the Bundesliga much later than Müller, but since arriving in the league in 2016 he’s made name for himself as one of the most technically gifted players in the division, a trait which has led to him even starting in midfield at times this season. His forward thinking style of play means that Bayern don't lose attacking impetus when Davies is unavailable, as he will be for the rest of the season and beyond following the Canadian's cruciate ligament injury in March.

With fewer than 10 games left of the Bundesliga season, Bayern are on course for yet another league title and it’s certainly been a team effort, with every member of the squad pulling their weight. Key injuries have not rocked the boat where others would have capsized, providing them with a six-point cushion over Leverkusen at the business end of the season, one they don't look ready to surrender.

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