Three takeaways: Bayern are many things – but they’re no Hoffenheim! | OneFootball

FC Bayern wins convincingly against Chelsea at the start of the new Champions League season. FCBinside provides three insights into the match.

The Munich team played a strong game and defeated FC Chelsea 3-1. The game provided the following insights:

1. FC Bayern is many things – but not Hoffenheim!

This statement will likely be held against Uli Hoeneß for a long time: "I can only say that I am looking forward to the coming season because we are entering the Champions League season like Hoffenheim. And that is exactly our chance," he said regarding the new season in the Champions League. The comparison between Hoffenheim and Bayern falters on several levels – especially since the Kraichgau team has traditionally never had anything to do with any titles.

The Premier League clubs had just snatched Bayern's desired players Florian Wirtz and Nick Woltemade, so Hoeneß suddenly wanted to rebrand his club as the frugal dwarf in Europe. However, the convincing victory against club world champion Chelsea showed: The German record champion is still a European giant.

Especially at home in the Allianz Arena, the Munich team can continue to beat any team. The first eleven or the first 14 players of Bayern are still top-class in Europe. Vincent Kompany's team made that clear on the pitch against Chelsea.

Even after the game, in front of the microphones, the stars did not want to assume the role of underdogs. Jonathan Tah even called it "partly a bit disrespectful" to try to put his team in the underdog role: "FC Bayern is never an underdog and will never be an underdog," he clarified. Only after this statement did he probably realize that he was also inevitably referring to Bayern patriarch Hoeneß. When asked about it, Tah briefly smiled, remained silent, and quickly left.

With the opening victory against Chelsea, Bayern made a statement and impressed not only with their play but also with the right attitude. This year, FC Bayern is many things in the Champions League, but certainly not Hoffenheim.

2. No limits for fan favorite Olise

Michael Olise had an outstanding evening against Chelsea. The Frenchman dazzled spectacularly, assisted the own goal for 1-0, and consistently played fantastic passes.

Unfortunately, none of his actions led to a goal in the end, but Olise initiated several more chances. The only downside was when he couldn't score against Chelsea keeper Sanchez when he was completely free in front of the goal. The game could have been decided earlier.

Nevertheless, Olise showed that evening that there are currently no limits for him. The 23-year-old is continuously improving and just keeps getting better. Bayern can simply count themselves lucky to have him.

At the end of the game against Chelsea, there were "Olise, Olise" chants from the stands for the offensive star. This was certainly also due to the fact that, in addition to his technical skills, he also engaged in a passionate duel with his opponent Marc Cucurella.

The Spaniard was (still) booed at every ball contact for his unpunished handball against Germany in the European Championship. However, this was probably not as bad for the right-back as Olise making life difficult for him on the pitch.

After the game, coach Kompany gave Olise extra praise. "As a coach, you can help a lot tactically and in training. But players like Michael just have this talent," he said. The coach also sees great development potential: "Last season, he might not have been a great player because it was his first season at this level. But now he has pressure and is just as good. That's a good sign for the future. A top player doesn't just play well for one year, but for ten good years. He is on a good path."

3. The thin squad is a danger

What could become a problem for Bayern, despite all the quality on the pitch, is the thin squad. This was deliberately accepted during the transfer period. In case of injuries, young Bayern talents are expected to step in at some point.

The game against Chelsea also showed how quickly things can escalate for Bayern this season. Josip Stanisic had to leave the field injured. After the absences of Alphonso Davies, Hiroki Ito, and Raphael Guerreiro, the Croatian national player was the fourth-choice left-back. As the fifth option, all-rounder Konrad Laimer had to step in on the left.

Photo: IMAGO

Stanisic gave the all-clear after the game, he will likely not be out. Nevertheless, his substitution was the next warning sign: If Bayern should encounter problems in the Champions League group stage, it will be when several players are missing due to injury. Just like last season in the quarter-finals against Inter Milan. The squad is currently even less prepared for that.

For Bayern, the only thing left now is the principle of hope. Joshua Kimmich summed it up after the game: "It is essential – this season more than ever – that we all stay healthy."

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.