Berlin, Germany (Weltexpress). The motions are there, the energy appears in place, but the Bavarian giants lack a convincing chemistry.
Dominating the match in possession and shots on goal, the first strike came in the 34th minute. Coman’s blast gave Bayern some breathing room, but Red Star was still in the game.
Bayern’s lacking strategy had difficulty finding the net, and their opponents despite 27% possession and only seven shots on goal had opportunities to tie.
Not until the 80th minute did Lewandowski muster a sloppy goal to take Bayern up 2-0. Substitute Müller sealed the victory on a free-kick trick-play in the 90 +1 minute to cap it 3-0.
Maybe it’s old-school or simply a lack of team chemistry, but the Bavarians are hardly playing up to their potential. The lack of field intelligence and group harmony does not bode well for legitimate contender status.
Coach Kovac and crew have their work cut out for them, but one thing is certain, the Champions League is filled with teams who are better prepared to take on the challenge.
Watching the game from Berlin’s exciting “Big-Screen” Hofbräu venue, the beer was flowing, but the game itself was less filling than anticipated.
