“It won’t always work”: Expert identifies a dangerous pattern at Bayern | OneFootball

FC Bayern defeated SV Elversberg 2-1, securing their second Bundesliga victory of the still-young season. However, the performance by the German record champions wasn’t particularly convincing. TV analyst Marcel Reif has noticed a pattern emerging in Vincent Kompany’s team that could become a problem.

First, though, Reif expressed great respect for the newly promoted team. “Elversberg did what they’re capable of, and that’s a lot. They do it wonderfully—they don’t just sit back and park the bus,” explained the former commentator on his BILD show “Reif ist Live.”

Nevertheless, the 76-year-old doesn’t attribute the long, open match solely to the strong opponent. In his view, the Munich team is currently taking too long to bring the necessary intensity to the field.

“Elversberg didn’t make it easy for Bayern, and Bayern actually played the same way they have on several recent occasions. Vincent Kompany can’t really be happy about that,” Reif emphasized.

Bayern keeps getting into gear too late

In fact, similar phases have already been observed in other matches. Against VfB Stuttgart and in the 5-0 win over Bodø/Glimt, Bayern also needed some time to get going before they significantly increased the tempo and ultimately won those matches.

In the 0-0 draw at Schalke, however, that didn’t work. Despite having opportunities, the Munich side was once again unable to score the decisive goal.

It was also a close call in Elversberg. After Lennart Karl gave Bayern the lead, Maurice Krattenmacher equalized for the newly promoted team. It wasn’t until the 72nd minute that Harry Kane saved the day for Bayern with his goal to make it 2-1.

For Reif, that’s exactly where the danger lies. The record champions can’t rely on simply shifting into high gear at any moment and then going on to decide the match.

“If that becomes ingrained as a pattern in people’s minds—that’s not something a coach wants to see.”

Reif warns about Champions League opponents

Photo: IMAGO

Reif sees a need for action, especially with regard to the Champions League. The season opener against Bodø/Glimt was a perfect result, with a decisive 5-0 victory. However, as the league season progresses, opponents await who could punish weaker phases much more ruthlessly.

“It won’t always work out like this, because the league season is different now. You’re facing completely different opponents right away, not just later on,” Reif warned.

At the same time, the expert knows that the decisive weeks for FC Bayern are still a long way off. “The season for Bayern begins sometime in February or March,” he explained, referring to the battle for the major titles.

Until then, however, Kompany must put his team in a position to compete for titles in all competitions. Especially in the Champions League, a poor performance during the group stage can affect the team’s standing heading into the knockout rounds.

Bayern’s results have been largely positive so far. However, there is still room for improvement in terms of their performance. Reif’s warning is therefore clear: playing with the brakes on time and again must not become a habit.