Without Kompany, who collapsed at training two days before, and without six regulars, Bayern lead 2–0 at the break in Freiburg, wobble after an own goal and go back to the top.
The numbers
| FC Bayern München | Sport-Club Freiburg | |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 56% | 44% |
| Shots | 17 | 16 |
| xG | 2.91 | 1.01 |
| Touches in opp. box | 22 | 25 |
| Ball recovery time | 15.5s | 23.6s |
Result the chances deserved: FC Bayern München 76% / 14% / Sport-Club Freiburg 10% (Poisson).
Starting line-ups
FC Bayern München (4-2-3-1): Urbig, Stanišić, Upamecano, Tah, Brown, Laimer, Bischof, Olise, Karl, Gnabry, Kane.
Sport-Club Freiburg (4-2-3-1): Backhaus, Treu, Ginter, Lienhart, Makengo, Eggestein, Osterhage, Beste, Suzuki, Scherhant, Höler.
Freiburg subs: Matanović (57', Höler; FC Bayern gives 58'), Yamamoto (58', Osterhage; his first competitive game for the club), Irié (64', Beste), Rosenfelder & Grifo (77', Lienhart & Scherhant). Freiburg coach: Julian Schuster. Freiburg made five changes from their 3–0 defeat at Monaco on Thursday; Engelhardt was out with a bruised pelvis (SC Freiburg).
Cards: Höler, Beste and Eggestein (Freiburg), Tah (Bayern), all yellow. Sources differ on the minutes. Boey's 89' goal was ruled out for offside after a VAR check. Attendance 34,700, sold out.
Key moments, move by move
- Freiburg attack, and Upamecano blocks Beste's shot at the edge of the Bayern box.
- He carries the ball out through the middle and passes to Olise.
- Upamecano keeps running, and Olise plays him through from around halfway.
- One-on-one, he slots it past Backhaus from about 17 metres. Bundesliga.com put the chance at 41%.
- Gnabry and Brown play a one-two on the left, outside the Freiburg box (SC Freiburg, Bundesliga.com).
- Gnabry runs from the left wing into the box.
- Brown slips the return pass into his run.
- From a tight angle, Gnabry shoots low through Backhaus's legs at the near post. Bundesliga.com put the chance at 14%.
- Makengo has the ball on Freiburg's left and runs at Boey.
- He gets past Boey and reaches the edge of the six-yard box.
- His low ball goes across the goal, with Suzuki arriving at the near post.
- Bischof slides in to clear it and turns it into his own net.
- Freiburg chase an equaliser, and a long ball drops in their half.
- Backhaus has come far out of his goal to deal with it.
- Olise gets to him and takes the ball.
- From about 33 metres, he rolls it into the empty net.
A new midfield two, and Bayern went the moment they won it
- Win it and go. The opener started at the edge of Bayern's own box: Upamecano blocked Beste's shot, carried it out, and Olise put him through to finish (16'). Bayern won the ball back in 15.5 seconds on average; Freiburg needed 23.6 (Bundesliga.com).
- Laimer and Bischof, for the first time. Without Kimmich and Pavlović, the two had never started together in the middle. FC Bayern credited their discipline and how they covered for each other. Freiburg had 1.01 xG to Bayern's 2.91 (FotMob), and their first shot came only at 14' (Bundesliga.com).
- Olise's passes. Olise set up the opener and played the passes for Kane's free header (57'), Brown's shot (69') and Saibari's chance (75'), then scored the third. FotMob rated him 9.0, the best on the pitch.
- Kim Min-jae missed it. Kim was out with a knock from the Arsenal game; Danks called it a small strain. Tah started next to Upamecano, and Freiburg had one clear-cut chance all game to Bayern's six (FC Bayern). The trouble came late: Upamecano was hurt heading a corner at 76', and the own goal came down Bayern's right after the changes.
Tactical scenes
From the right, Olise kept finding runners: Upamecano for the opener, Kane unmarked for a header, Brown's diagonal run from left-back and Saibari through on goal. Backhaus saved the last two.
Evidence: Bundesliga.com's ticker credits Olise with the pass for four of Bayern's chances, including the 16' goal (41% chance). FotMob rated him 9.0, the highest on the pitch. Bundesliga.com live ticker · FotMob match page · FC Bayern match report
After the own goal, Freiburg went for crosses and set pieces. Grifo's free kick hit the wall, Matanović headed straight at Urbig, and Ginter had two headers, the last tipped away by Urbig.
Evidence: Four Freiburg attempts from free kicks, corners and crosses after 82' (Bundesliga.com ticker). Before the game, FC Bayern noted Freiburg had scored four headed league goals, a Bundesliga record, and opened the scoring from a corner in all three home games. Bundesliga.com live ticker · FC Bayern: Freiburg opposition profile · FC Bayern match report
Recreate it in FM26
FC Bayern München · Win it, carry it, then find Olise · 4-2-3-1Show cardHide card
Win it, carry it, then find Olise
| Pos | Player | In Possession | Out of Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Urbig | Sweeper Keeper | Sweeper Keeper |
| RB | Stanišić | Full-Back | Holding Full-Back |
| RCB | Upamecano | Advanced Centre-Back | Stopping Centre-Back |
| LCB | Tah | Ball-Playing Centre-Back | Covering Centre-Back |
| LB | Brown | Wing-Back | Pressing Full-Back |
| RDM | Laimer | Box-to-Box Midfielder | Pressing Defensive Midfielder |
| LDM | Bischof | Deep-Lying Playmaker | Screening Defensive Midfielder |
| RW | Olise | Wide Playmaker | Winger |
| AM | Karl | Attacking Midfielder | Tracking Attacking Midfielder |
| LW | Gnabry | Inside Forward | Inside Outlet Winger |
| ST | Kane | Deep-Lying Forward | Centre Forward |
Team instructions
In Possession
- Attacking TransitionCounter-Attack
- Passing DirectnessMore Direct
- Shots from DistanceEncouraged
Out of Possession
- Line of EngagementHigh Press
- Defensive TransitionCounter-Press
- Cross EngagementContest
The idea: A Wide Playmaker on the right and an Advanced Centre-Back who will carry the ball out turn regains into chances in two or three passes. You need two disciplined midfielders behind them, because the side gets stretched once legs go.
What FM26 can't copy: FM26 can't reproduce a stand-in coach, six missing regulars, or a goalkeeper error in added time.
Our reading of this match in FM26 terms, not an exported tactic file. Role names as in FM26.
What if? Replay it with a different plan
Our best alternative plan: Ito on at 74' (for Brown, not Davies), Stanišić kept on; Boey on at 80'. Keep the same plan, but make the late changes with the air in mind: Ito for Brown and a later switch at right-back. Freiburg's comeback came from crosses and headers; it probably doesn't start. It moves FC Bayern München's win chance from 76% to 80% (xG 2.91–1.01 becomes 2.91–0.81). Try your own changes to formation, pressing, approach and substitutions.
The game-changer FC Bayern München needed
Kim Min-jae
Freiburg's late push was crosses and headers: the own goal from a low ball across the box, then Matanović's and Ginter's headers. Kim next to Upamecano, who was hurt heading a corner at 76', gives Bayern another strong header and a fast cover defender for that spell.
Virgil van Dijk
Freiburg score from set pieces and headers, and they finished with Ginter and Matanović attacking every ball into the box. A centre-back who dominates in the air and organises the line would have shut down the last 15 minutes.
What the analysts said
“It was a great performance in a tough place.”Aaron Danks, Bayern assistant coach, in charge on the day (FC Bayern website)
“The win means three points, but it was a bigger win than just three points.”Max Eberl, Bayern board member for sport (FC Bayern website)
“The team played an almost perfect away game for over 80 minutes.”Max Eberl (FC Bayern website)
“The last 15-20 minutes and after conceding were bumpy.”Serge Gnabry (FC Bayern website)
“We were in the game on the whole.”Julian Schuster, Freiburg coach (FC Bayern website)
“We played well again but are left here asking if we deserved more.”Igor Matanović, Freiburg (FC Bayern website)
“We showed him his chance that he had against Arsenal again the other day, where he makes a similar run.”Aaron Danks on Upamecano's goal (DAZN, via Bulinews)
With no Kompany and half the spine missing, Bayern still won the hard way.
What's happening. Freiburg 1–3 Bayern. Kompany had collapsed at training on Friday, so his assistant Aaron Danks took the team. Neuer, Kimmich, Pavlović, Luis Díaz, Kim Min-jae and Musiala were all missing too. Bayern led 2–0 at half-time through Upamecano and Gnabry, conceded an own goal late and sealed it in added time. They are back on top, level on 17 points with Dortmund.
How it works. With two midfielders who had never started together, Bayern kept it simple. Laimer and Bischof stayed close and covered for each other. When the ball was won, the first pass went forward, often to Olise, who looked for runners. It works because the runners keep going after the regain: a centre-back scored the first. The cost is legs. Once the changes came and Freiburg sent players forward, Bayern spent the last quarter-hour defending crosses and headers.
What the shots say. By FotMob's numbers Bayern made nearly three times as many chances as Freiburg. One reading: this was control for 80 minutes, and the late scare was a deflection plus a team chasing the game. The other: Freiburg had more touches in Bayern's box, and Bundesliga.com's own model has the gap much closer. With a weakened side, Bayern's edge in this game rested heavily on Olise and on Urbig's late saves.