I guess Oliver Kahn was right about not needing Cristiano Ronaldo. In fact, they really didn’t need Lewandowski or Ronaldo today as Bayern beat Eintracht Frankfurt 6-1 in their Bundesliga season opener.
This game wasn’t even close. Bayern Munich dominated poor Eintracht Frankfurt from the first minute until the last. But especially in the first few minutes.
Bayern scored 4 goals before the 35′ mark (2 in the first ten minutes) and scored another before the brake. What is even better is that the only scorer of one of Bayern’s six goals that could be considered a striker is Sadio Mane. That is how unique this offensive onslaught is for the 31X Bundesliga Champions.
For the past seven season, Bayern have relied upon Robert Lewandowski’s goal-scoring magic to win these types of games. But not today.
Today, Bayern have shown that they don’t need an “out-and-out-striker, which Robert Lewandowski was, to score handful of goals each game. They have formed a fantastic supporting cast that can contribute offensively as cohesive unit. Every aspect of the pitch for Bayern Munich scored as full-back Benjamin Pavard, midfielder Jamal Musiala, striker Sadio Mane, defensive midfielder Joshua Kimmich, and winger Serge Gnabry all had one goal each.
The game stats were all in Bayern Munich’s favor too. Bayern had 23 shots, 10 shots on target, 64% possession, 625 passes (nearly double Frankfurt’s 359), 6 corners, and had an 87% passing accuracy. Eintracht Frankfurt really never had a chance.
Nevertheless, what is even more impressive is that Eintracht Frankfurt are no pushovers. They are the reigning Europa League champions and are currently one of the five German teams in the Champions League. That is what makes this win all the better. They should easily win the Bundesliga again this season.
However, winning the Bundesliga is not what Bayern Munich wants. They want to win yet another Champions League, which is where this new-found “Robert Lewandowski-less” optimism should simmer down.
Still, they need to play a few Champions League matches before anyone can proclaim them to be Champions League favorites. Bayern can beat the likes of Frankfurt, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, and the rest of their German rivals without a striker easily enough, but can they beat Man City, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Barcelona, or PSG with this roster? That is where I’m not so sure not having a classic striker is a smart move.
Only time will tell if Bayern have the squad strength and depth to win their 7th Champions League title.
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