Four Observations following Bayern Munich's 0-0 draw to Bayer ...

Let’s go chronological today.

Pre-game observations:

Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich, the two best teams in Germany, were set to decide the fate of a title race that could’ve been over by mid-February. For German football, this game is as big as it gets in the 2024/25 season.

Considering the occasion, I sat on my couch with a beer well over an hour before kickoff. Immediately, I noticed how many Leverkusen players were laughing and joking during the warm-up. Granit Xhaka, arguably Bayer’s most critical player of all time, seemed the biggest joker. Despite this being a must-win for Leverkusen, the pressure was always on Bayern.

Statistically, Bayern’s first season under Vincent Kompany is record-breaking — on paper, they look unstoppable in the Bundesliga. But as many fans know, the numbers don’t tell the whole story.

Bayern has cruised past mid and lower-table sides like Bochum, Holstein Kiel, and Werder Bremen but has struggled against top opposition both in the league and in Europe. I would argue that Vincent Kompany inherited a squad that’s not truly ‘world-class’ — at least compared to the 2012/13 and 2019/20 teams. Manuel Neuer is aging, Thomas Müller is now a bench player, and Robert Lewandowski has been replaced by an Englishman who depends on his team’s performance to thrive.

First half observations:

Of the eleven Sky Deutschland pundits, none predicted a Bayern Munich win. And right away, it felt like this game would be very different from Vincent Kompany’s first meeting with Xabi Alonso back in September 2024. This time, Leverkusen were far more aggressive from the start, whereas in Munich, they had been content to sit back. Perhaps in Xabi’s eyes, Bayern is no longer an unstoppable force, but he is not naive. Leverkusen’s starting eleven featured six defenders and no strikers.

The result? Leverkusen dominated the first 25 minutes, winning the ball countless times in Bayern’s half as the Bavarians struggled to build from the back. Jeremie Frimpong and Nathan Tella both hit the bar — Leverkusen really should have been 2-0 up.

Xabi Alonso’s side remains world-class in transitions. Wing-backs Konrad Laimer and newcomer Hiroki Itō struggled to contain the pace of Frimpong and Piero Hincapié. But more importantly, on the front foot, Bayern were harmless — downright abysmal.

They failed to register a shot in the first 45 minutes. Has that ever happened before?

Second half observations:

Around the 58th minute, it struck me—Bayern were happy with a draw. An eight-point lead over Leverkusen all but secures the title. After all, they are facing a team that has 1 loss in 56 Bundesliga games. Was Vincent Kompany playing it conservative for once? Settling for a draw, hoping Leverkusen would overcommit? It felt like a risky gamble...

72nd minute: Bayern, through Harry Kane, finally registered their first shot of the game. It was easily deflected by a Leverkusen leg.

I admit that the conclusion of this article would’ve been very different if Florian Wirtz had scored that sitter in the final minute.

But at the end of the day, that’s how you win Bundesliga titles, folks.

Post-match observations:

Vincent Kompany got the result he wanted. It didn’t matter how many times the crowd chanted ‘Allez, allez, Leverkusen, allez’ — Bayern was going to leave Leverkusen with an eight point advantage.

Make no mistake, Bayern got lucky tonight. Offensively, there’s much to be desired. But defensively — and in terms of tactical flexibility — it was oddly encouraging. Kompany isn’t as tactically naive as I thought; he knows how to shut down a game. And before stoppage time and the flurry of last-minute chances, that’s exactly what Bayern did — rather successfully.

In September 2024, Xabi outsmarted Kompany by parking the bus and getting a result at the toughest place in Germany. Tonight, Kompany outsmarted Xabi by playing defensive football and securing a result at the second toughest.

I’m not sure which team is the best in Germany, but I’m fairly certain Bayern won the league tonight.

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