Bayern Munich defeated PSG and conceded a goal for the seventh time in a row

Bayern Munich are back on track to qualify directly for the round of 16 of the Champions League after an impressive 1-0 home win against Paris Saint-Germain at the Allianz Arena. Min-Jae Kim scored the winning goal (38th) after a mistake by PSG goalkeeper Matvei Safonov.

It was FC Bayern Munich’s third 1-0 win in three of the last four games. On the surface, it’s not that dominant. But Bayern had 57% possession and a passing rate of 85% compared to 79% for PSG.

In other words, although on paper it was a close result. Just like against Benfica and St. Pauli, Bayern never really seemed in danger of losing the game against the Ligue 1 giants.

“I’m happy, of course,” Bayern Munich head coach Vincent Kompany told Amazon Prime after the game. “Our pressing in the first half was very good. The discipline was there. We probably could have scored one or two more goals, but the result is good.”

Manuel Neuer was also happy. The Bayern captain, who came under fire earlier this season for his apparent loss of form, has now led his side to seven clean sheets in all competitions.

“It depends on our mentality and self-confidence, not just in defense but in the entire team,” said Neuer when asked about his performance. “The offensive players are just as happy about a 1-0 win and a clean slate.” . This mentality and the focus on every defensive action are what sets us apart at the moment.”

Without a doubt, almost every part of this Bayern team looks good. There was even a special moment when Neuer acted as a playmaker on the halfway line and gave his team a good chance to score.

This moment may have been one of the few moments in which the Bayern fans in the Allianz Arena were even remotely afraid. Otherwise, the defense was incredibly solid. And that’s an amazing achievement from Kompany, who inherited two out-of-form defenders in Kim and Dayot Upamecano.

A few weeks ago, Neuer, Upamecano and Kim stumbled aimlessly around the pitch in a humiliating 4-1 defeat to Barcelona. Kompany drew the right conclusions from that game and has since found a system that accompanies Kim and Upamecano well.

In fact, the Belgian coach always believed in his two central defenders. “I watched training the first week and our forwards didn’t enjoy it,” Kompany said. “And when the strikers aren’t having fun in training, then you know you have something there.”

So if the potential was always there, what would it take to get them going again? The performance that always comes with some confidence and time,” said Kompany. “Of course they don’t defend alone. Harry Kane is involved; Everyone is involved and that’s why it’s so successful now.”

These are the positive aspects. However, it cannot be ignored that despite all their dominance, goals have been difficult to score recently. In particular, Kane’s form in important games is a growing concern for the club, as the Englishman was once again eliminated against top opponents.

It’s not just Kane either. Michael Olise has appeared to be facing a bit of a challenge since his spectacular start after joining the club from Crystal Palace this summer. The only player who consistently performs at the highest level is Jamal Musiala, on whom Bayern have become increasingly dependent.

There is now a feeling that Bayern will add something to the attack in the January window. But by then it wouldn’t be difficult for Kompany to find a solution to his stuttering attack. Eventually he fixed everything else.